Dec. 2, 2015
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving team will host the Hawkeye Invitational at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium on Friday through Sunday. Preliminary events will start at 10 a.m. (CT) all three days and finals will be held at 6 p.m. (CT) on Friday and Saturday, and 4 p.m. (CT) on Sunday.
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LIVE RESULTS
Up-to-date results will be available on livestats.hawkeyesports.com. Fans can also follow the meet via Twitter by following @IowaSwimDive.
THE FIELD
The eight-team field consists of student-athletes from Denver, Drury, Harvard, Incarnate Word, Iowa, Milwaukee, North Dakota, and Northern Iowa. Iowa State, Illinois, and Nebraska will compete only in diving events.
SENIOR NIGHT
Iowa will recognize its seven-member senior class on Saturday prior to the start of the finals. The seniors include: Maddie Bro, Colleen Champa, Ashley Horodyski, Olivia Kabacinski, Allie Orvis, Samantha Wagner, and Jennifer Weigand.
LAST YEAR AT HAWKEYE INVITE
Iowa won the 2014 Hawkeye Invitational, finishing with 1,015.5 points in the three-day competition. Denver was the team runner-up with 793 points. Olivia Kabacinski posted a pair of school records during the invite, posting record times in the 100 free (49.61) and 200 free (1:46.68).
SOUGSTAD SWIMS TO “B” QUALIFYING TIME
Junior Emma Sougstad is leading the Hawkeyes in four individual events early in the 2015-16 season. She paces the team in the 50 free (23.34), 100 breast (1:02.23) (B), 200 breast (2:16.43), and 200 IM (2:06.66). Sougstad swam an NCAA “B” qualifying time in the 100 breast against Purdue on Nov. 6, making it her season-best.
FLYING INTO THE LEAD
Freshman Kelly McNamara has burst on to the scene in the butterfly events for the Hawkeyes. The Villa Park, Illinois, native has posted three individual event victories in the 100 fly this season. She swam a season-best and team-leading time of 54.88 in the dual against Minnesota on Oct. 30.
HOW FAR CAN SHE GO?
Freshman Abbey Schneider is off to a strong start in her first season as a Hawkeye. The Indiana native has shaved off time in every meet this year in the 500 free, and holds season-best times in the 1,000 and 1650. She broke five minutes and swam a time of 4:59.50 in the 500 free against Purdue on Nov. 6, and posted a time of 10:18.12 in the 1,000.
OFF TO A FAST START
Senior Olivia Kabacinski has sprinted her way to the team’s top times in the 100 (50.98) and 200 free (1:51.69) this season. Kabacinski had a field day in the Oct. 16 dual against Michigan State and Northern Iowa, swimming to seven first place finishes — five relays and two individual events.
DIVING TO SEASON BESTS
Sophomore Morgan Rafferty had a career-best performance in Iowa’s dual meet against Minnesota on Oct. 30 off the 1-meter. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native posted NCAA Zone qualifying scores on both the 1-meter and 3-meter with career-best scores of 276.30 (1-meter) and 286.58 (3-meter). She then bested her 3-meter mark against Purdue on Nov. 6, finishing with a score of 289.20.
RETURNING NCAA QUALIFIER
Junior Emma Sougstad returns as the leader of the program after qualifying for the NCAA Championships in three events as a sophomore. The Forest City, Iowa, native holds school records in the 100 breast (59.96), 200 breast (2:11.20), 200 IM (1:58.74), 200-free relay (1:30.96), 200-medley relay (1:39.18), and 400-medley relay (3:38.68).
TOP SPRINTER RETURNS
The Hawkeyes have their top sprinter returning to the fold in 2015-16 in senior Olivia Kabacinski. The Indiana native is the school record holder in six events — 50 free (22.70), 100 free (49.61), and 200-free relay (1:30.96), 400-free relay (3:21.07), 800-free relay (7:12.49), and 200-medley relay (1:39.18).
CAMPUS RECREATION AND WELLNESS CENTER
Ground was broken for the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center in October 2007. The facility opened in August 2010 and is home for the Hawkeyes. It is located at the corner of Burlington and Madison streets and cost approximately $69 million. The facility includes a 50-meter competition pool, a separate diving well, a leisure pool with lap lanes and 24,000 square feet of fitness space.
IOWA SWIMMING AND DIVING TRADITION
Iowa was one of the first schools in the nation to compete on a collegiate level and competed at the first NCAA Championship. From 1937 to 1960, Iowa placed in the NCAA top 10 18 times, crowning nine NCAA and 22 Big Ten champions.
ON THE HORIZON
The Hawkeyes return to action Dec. 11, traveling to Ames, Iowa, for an Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series matchup against Iowa State.
