Dec. 4, 2015
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving team is leading the Hawkeye Invitational with 240 points following the first day of competition at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium.
“It is one of those things where we are starting to come on, but I think there is another level we can take it to,” said UI head coach Marc Long. “It’s important that we come together as a team here and get there. As a team, we would like to improve on some areas still.”
The Hawkeyes posted a relay win to start Friday’s finals, touching first in the 200-free relay. Junior Emma Sougstad, senior Olivia Kabacinski, sophomore Mekenna Scheitlin, and freshman Kelly McNamara posted the second-best time in program history, touching the wall in 1:31.52.
Iowa got a record-breaking time from Sougstad in her 50 freestyle split to open the relay. She touched in a record time of 22.63 seconds. The time is an NCAA “B” standard.
The Hawkeyes also won the 400-medley relay with a school-record time to close out the evening. Sophomore Meghan Lavelle, Sougstad, McNamara, and Kabacinski finished with a time of 3:38.62. Lavelle opened the relay with a 54.14 split — an NCAA “B” cut and the third-fastest time in school history.
Sougstad followed with a first-place finish in the 200 IM with a time of 1:59.25. The Forest City, Iowa, native posted a season-best and NCAA “B” qualifying time of 1:59.05 during the morning prelims.
In the 50 free, Sougstad sprinted to a runner-up finish, touching in 22.91 seconds. Kabacinski took fourth in the event in 23.08. During the prelims, Kabacinski posted a “B” cut time of 22.84 seconds.
In the diving well, sophomore Morgan Rafferty finished fifth on the 1-meter springboard. She finished with a score of 249.05.
“It has been exciting to see a lot of the little things we have been working on in practice start to come together.” said diving coach Todd Waikel “I have to give a shout out to Brandis, he has been working on his performance at meets. He has been training hard at practice and tonight he came out and had a personal best. Overall I am pleased; it was a great first day.”
Day two of the Hawkeye Invitational begins Saturday at 10 a.m. (CT).
