Feb. 5, 2016
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving team posted victories in all 12 events in a 144-61 triumph over Western Illinois on Friday night at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium. The Hawkeyes finish 8-4 in dual action this season.
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“This is always a great meet to sharpen up as we head into the Big Ten Championship portion of the season,” said UI head coach Marc Long. “We’re happy with where we are. We saw some sparks and a lot of people swim some non-traditional events, which is fun to see.”
Iowa opened the meet with a 1-2-3 finish in the 400-medley relay, starting a trend for the evening. The relay of sophomore Jo Jekel, junior Emma Sougstad, freshman Kelly McNamara, and sophomore Lauren Leehy won the event with a time of 3:51.40.
The Hawkeyes posted 1-2-3-4 finishes in the 200 free, 100 IM, and 50 free before the first break. Sophomore Nikol Lagodzinska won the 200 free in 1:52.51, senior Allie Orvis won the 100 IM in 58.57 seconds, and senior Olivia Kabacinski sprinted to a victory in the 50 free (23.98).
Kabacinski also posted an individual victory in the 50 breast, touching out in 29.87 seconds.
Iowa followed with 1-2-3-4 showings in the 50 fly, 100 free, and 50 back. Sougstad swam to a victory in the 50 fly in 24.86 seconds; Lagodzinska won her second event, touching in 51.21 in the 100 free, and Lavelle coasted to a win in the 50 back in 26.97 seconds.
Sophomore Summer Campbell swam to a victory in the 500 free, finishing with a time of 5:11.47. Iowa finished 1-2-3 in the race.
The Hawkeyes closed out the evening in the pool with the top four times in the 200-free relay. Sougstad, seniors Colleen Champa and Jennifer Weigand, and junior Serena Wanasek had a winning time of 1:36.11.
In the diving well, Iowa posted the top three scores off the 1-meter. Freshman Jacintha Thomas won the event — the first victory of her collegiate career — with a score of 276.80. Junior Lydia Lehnert claimed a victory off the 3-meter, finishing with a score of 283.95.
The Hawkeyes now enter the championships portion of their schedule. The 2016 Big Ten Championships will be held from Feb. 17-20 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
