THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving team hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Lincoln for a Big Ten Conference dual at Nebraska. The Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers will compete at the Devaney Center Natatorium beginning at 11 a.m. (CT).
FOLLOW LIVE
• Live results for Saturday’s dual will be available on Meet Mobile and on hawkeyesports.com.
• Fans can also follow the Hawkeyes on Twitter/IowaSwimDive for live meet updates.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Nathan Mundt is in his first season as head coach after spending six years as head coach of the Iowa Flyers Club. Mundt previously was an assistant coach for the Hawkeyes from 2008-16.
• Iowa returns 10 letterwinners from last season’s squad, including senior diver Sam Tamborski, who was a 2021 NCAA qualifier.
• The Hawkeyes return their top competitors in five events and members of four of the top relays from a season ago.
LAST MEET
The Hawkeyes swept the diving events against Minnesota, but the Golden Gophers came away a 156-104 victory on Oct. 8 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center in Iowa City. Senior Sam Tamborski won the 3-meter and freshman Makayla Hughbanks won the 1-meter for her first career victory in the dual.
TAMBORSKI OFF TO IMPRESSIVE START
Senior Sam Tamborski is off to a strong start to the 2021-22 season, winning three of the four diving events in her first two duals. She swept the springboard events against Northern Iowa and won the 3-meter springboard against Minnesota.
NCAA ZONE QUALIFIERS
Three Hawkeyes have posted NCAA Zone Diving standards this season. Senior Sam Tamborski has posted qualifying scores off both the 1-meter (283.45) and 3-meter (324.10), while freshman Makayla Hughbanks (274.45) and sophomore Sarah Ballard (273.10) have qualifying marks off the 1-meter.
GILBERTSON LEADS CHARGE
Junior Kennedy Gilbertson is leading the team in six different events early in the 2021-22 season. The Wisconsin native has the top times in the 100 free (52.72), 200 free (1:53.92), 100 back (56.95), 200 back (2:05.95) and as part of the 200-medley (1:45.76) and 400-free (3:36.72) relays.
KEY RETURNEES
• Junior Kennedy Gilbertson returns after leading the team in the 100-yard backstroke last season with an NCAA “B” qualifying time of 53.92 seconds. Gilbertson’s time ranks fifth in the school record books. The Wisconsin native also had the second-fastest 50-freestyle time (23.38) while also being a member of the team-leading 200 and 400-freestyle relays. Gilbertson ranks in the top 10 in school history in the 50 free, 100 back and 200 back and as part of five relays.
• Junior Anna Brooker paced the team in the 200-back as a sophomore with a time of 1:57.70 — a time that ranks eighth in school history. She also was third on the team in the 1,000 free (10:23.59) and fourth in the 500 free (4:58.28).
• Junior Aleksandra Olesiak was one of the team’s top breaststrokers a season ago, leading the team in the 200 breast (2:16.19) while ranking second in the 100 breast with a career-best time of 1:02.06. The Colorado native was also a member of the team-leading 200 and 400-medley relays. Her 100 and 200 breaststroke times rank sixth in school history.
• Junior Georgia Clark led the team in the 400 IM in 2021, posting a time of 4:25.60 at the Big Ten Championships. She was also third on the team in the 100 back (55.43).
• Sophomore Sarah Ballard led the team off the 1-meter springboard in her first season as a Hawkeye, finishing with a season-best score of 294.15. Ballard posted NCAA Zone qualifying scores off both the 1-meter and 3-meter as a freshman.
HAWKEYE COACHING STAFF
• Nathan Mundt returns for his second stint with the Hawkeyes and he becomes the seventh head coach in program history. The Indiana native served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2008-16 where he coached 33 All-Americans and 42 NCAA qualifiers and helped the Hawkeyes to six top 40 NCAA finishes and 115 school records.
• Diving coach Todd Waikel enters his ninth season with the program. Waikel has coached five All-Americans during his tenure in Iowa City and 15 NCAA Championships qualifiers.
• Mona Groteguth-Garcia completes the Hawkeye coaching staff, coming to Iowa City following a two-year stint at TCU. She helped the Horned Frogs to back-to-back third-place Big 12 Conference finishes — the best for the program since 2012-13. Groteguth-Garcia also coached at the University of Indianapolis from 2017-19 and she swam collegiately at North Texas.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes will have three weeks off before splitting up during the third week of November. Iowa swimmers will compete at the Miami (Fla.) Invitational from Nov. 18-20, while the Hawkeye divers will be in Atlanta for the Georgia Tech Diving Invitational.