Iowa Ready for B1G Championships

Feb 23, 2016

Notes

• Read the January issue of Hawk Talk Monthly
• 2015-16 Iowa Swimming & Diving Media Guide
• Download your Hawk Talk Monthly iOS app
• Download your Hawk Talk Monthly android app
• Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
• Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone/iPad app
• Download your Iowa Hawkeye android app
• 24 Hawkeyes to Watch

  

  THIS WEEK
  The University of Iowa men’s swimming and diving team will travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, for the 2016 Big Ten Championships from Feb. 24-27 at the Boilermaker Aquatics Center. Action begins Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. (CT). Prelims begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday through Saturday and finals start at 5:30 p.m. each evening.

  LIVE RESULTS
  Up-to-date results will be available on http://www.purduesports.com/livestats/c-swim/. Fans can also follow the meet via Twitter by following @IowaSwimDive.

  B1G COVERAGE
  The first six sessions of the 2016 Big Ten Championships will be shown live via BTN Plus (subscription required). Saturday’s finals will be tape delayed, airing at 6 p.m. (CT) on Feb. 29 on BTN. Saturday’s finals will be live on BTN.

  SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
  WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24 – Finals – 5:30 p.m. (CT)
  200- Medley Relay
  800- Freestyle Relay

  THURSDAY, FEB. 25 — Prelims – 10 a.m. (CT)
  500 Freestyle
  200 IM
  50 Freestyle
  1-Meter Diving (Prelims & Consolation Finals, 1 p.m.)

  Finals – 5:30 p.m. (CT)
  500 Freestyle
  200-yard IM
  50 Freestyle
  1-Meter Diving
  400-Medley Relay

  FRIDAY, FEB. 26 – Prelims – 10 a.m. (CT)
  400 IM
  100 Butterfly
  200 Freestyle
  100 Breaststroke
  100 Backstroke
  3-Meter Diving (Prelims & Consolation Finals, 1 p.m.)

  Finals – 5:30 p.m. (CT)
  200-Freestyle Relay
  400 IM 100 Butterfly
  200 Freestyle
  100 Breaststroke
  100 Backstroke 3-Meter Diving

• SATURDAY, FEB. 27 — Prelims – 10 a.m. (CT)
  200 Backstroke
  100 Freestyle
  200 Breaststroke
  200 Butterfly Platform Diving (Prelims & Consolation Finals, 1 p.m.)
  1,650 Freestyle

  Finals – 5:30 p.m. (CT)
  1,650 Freestyle
  200 Backstroke
  100 Freestyle
  200 Breaststroke
  200 Butterfly
  Platform Diving
  400-Freestyle Relay

  HAWKEYES TO WATCH
  Five Iowa swimmers enter the 2016 Big Ten Championships with top 10 times in six individual events. Sophomore Jerzy Twarowski has a pair of top three times in the 100 fly (second, 46.97) and 200 fly (third, 1:45.41), while senior Roman Trussov is third in the 100 breast (53.32) and fourth in the 200 breast (1:56.18). Senior Jackson Allen has the fifth-fastest 100 fly time (47.78) and the ninth-best 50 free (20.14) time, and freshman Jack Smith also is ninth in the 50 free (20.14).
  The Hawkeyes boast top-six times in all five relays and are rank in the top three in the medleys. Redshirt freshman Kenneth Mende, Trussov, Twarowski, and Smith have the second-best 400-medley (3:10.83) and third-best 200-medley (1:26.48) times. Iowa is fourth in the 200 free relay (1:19.58), fifth in 400 free relay (2:56.37), and sixth in 800 free relay (6:39.96).

  RECAP OF 2015 B1G CHAMPIONSHIPS
  The Hawkeyes posted four school records in swimming competition and one in the diving well at the 2015 Big Ten Championships in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa posted 10 top-eight finishes. The quartet of Grant Betulius, Roman Trussov, Jerzy Twarowski, and Jackson Halsmer finished in third place in the 200-medley relay and finished in fifth place in the 400-medley relay. Trussov gave the Hawkeyes a fourth place finish in the 200-breast. As a team, Iowa placed eighth with 230.5 points.

  RACKING IN THE NCAA “B” QUALIFYING TIMES
  Iowa has posted 13 NCAA “B” cuts during the first half of the 2015-16 season. Below is a rundown of the Hawkeyes’ performances:

  50 Free: Jack Smith (20.14), Jackson Allen (20.14)
  100 Free: Jack Smith (44.26)
  200 Free: Jack Smith (1:37.80)
  100 Back: Kenneth Mende (47.83)
  200 Back: Kenneth Mende (1:45.27), Andrew Parker (1:46.15)
  100 Breast: Roman Trussov (53.32), Mike Nelson (54.78) |
  200 Breast: Roman Trussov (1:56.18)
  100 Fly: Jerzy Twarowski (46.97), Jackson Allen (47.78)
  200 Fly: Jerzy Twarowski (1:45.41)

  BACKING INTO FIRST
  Redshirt freshman Kenneth Mende showed his best against Purdue, swimming to two wins and a runner-up finish. The Germany native had a first-place showing in the 100 back (49.03) and 200 back (1:49.11). He also led off the runner-up 200-medley relay, where he had a split of 22.92 — the fastest of the meet. Mende’s season-best time of 47.83 in the 100 back is the fifth-fastest in program history.

  BRENNER B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
  Freshman Will Brenner was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Feb. 10, after diving to a victory off the 1-meter springboard in Iowa’s regular season finale against Western Illinois on Feb. 5. Brenner finished with an NCAA Zone qualifying standard of 361.00 — his second-best score of the season.

  SMITH THE SPRINTER
  Freshman Jack Smith has adjusted nicely in his first season as a collegian. The England native is leading the Hawkeyes in the 50 free (20.14), 100 free (44.26), and 200 free (1:37.80). He has NCAA “B” qualifying times in all three events. Smith is also has a team-best time, swimming in all five relays.

  DIVING TO NCAA ZONE STANDARDS
  Four Hawkeye divers have posted NCAA Zone diving standards this season. Will Brenner (365.00), Brandis Heffner(341.55), Addison Boschult (334.43), and Andrew Hull (332.25) have posted qualifying scores off the 1-meter, while Heffner (366.90), Hull (346.25), and Boschult (347.40) have qualifying scores on the 3-meter. Boschult (354.30) and Hull (339.25) have zone standards off the platform.

  FIRST-PLACE FLYER
  Sophomore Jerzy Twarowski flew fast in Iowa’s Nov. 6 meet against Purdue. The Krakow, Poland, native swam to two first place finishes, touching first in the 100 fly in 48.50 seconds and 200 fly in 1:49.28. Twarowski has an NCAA “B” qualifying time in the 100 fly, posting a time of 48.04 in the dual meet against Minnesota.

  COLIN GOES THE DISTANCE
  Freshman Ben Colin has helped lead the Hawkeyes in distance freestyle events this season. The Dubuque, Iowa, native swam a season-best time in the 1,000 free against Purdue on Nov. 6, touching at a time of 9:36.75, and touched in 4:35.06 in the 500, also a season best.

  BOUNDING BREASTROKER
  Senior Roman Trussov has led the way for the Hawkeyes in breaststroke competition this season. The Kazakhstan native swam to three top-three finishes against Purdue on Nov. 6. He had a season-best time of 55.49 in the 100 breast.

  RETURNING NCAA QUALIFIERS
  The Hawkeyes return Roman Trussov Mike Nelson, Jerzy Twarowski, and Addison Boschult from the NCAA Championships this season. Trussov placed 18th in the 200-medley relay (1:26.19), 19th in the 400-medley relay (3:10.03), 24th in the 100 breast (53.17), and 28th in the 200 breast (1:55.04). Nelson served as an alternate in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, Twarowski finished 18th in the 200-medley relay (1:26.19) and 19th in the 400-medley relay (3:10.03), and Boschult placed 10th at the NCAA Championships with a score of 386.50 and was second overall off the platform at NCAA Zone D Diving Championships (387.70).

  HAWKEYES ADD 8 TO 2016-17 ROSTER
  Iowa signed seven high school preps to National Letters of Intent to join the program in 2016-17. The class consists of Alex Baldisseri (Merano, Italy), John Colin (Dubuque, Iowa), Weston Credit (La Grange, Ill.), Steve Fiolic (Urbandale, Iowa), Joe Myhre (St. Charles, Ill.), Will Scott (Iowa City, Iowa), Alex Streightiff (Lake Bluff, Ill.), and Forrest White (Danville, Calif.).

  TRUSSOV: 2-TIME NCAA QUALIFIER
  Senior Roman Trussov returns for his senior season as a two-time NCAA qualifier (2013, 2015). The Kazakhstan native holds the school records in the 100 breast (52.85), 200 breast (1:54.57) and as part of the 200 (1:25.53) and 400 (3:08.56) medley relays. Trussov placed 24th overall in the 100 breast and 28th in the 200 breast at the 2015 NCAA Championships.

  TOP FLYER RETURNS
  Sophomore Jerzy Twarowski is back for his second season as a Hawkeye and his second season competing in the yards distances. Twarowski became the first Iowa butterfly swimmer to break the 47-second mark during his first collegiate season, posting a school-record time of 46.70. He also broke a 22-year old school record (Rafal Szukala) in the 200 fly, finishing with a time of 1:44.00.

  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 Hawkeye divers will be in action at the 2016 NCAA Zone D Diving Championships from March 7-9 in College Station, Texas.