MADISON, Wis. – The University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving team competed in the second full day of the Big Ten Championships on Friday at the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center.
Friday kicked off with preliminary rounds of 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, and 3-meter diving.
The Hawkeyes improved on five total individual season-best times during the preliminaries. Junior Ariel Wooden posted her season-best 58.87 in the 100 fly, while juniors Payton Lange (1:52.85) and Anna Brooker (1:54.09) achieved their season-bests in the 200 free.
Junior Zoe Pawloski (57.68) and sophomore Anna Pfeiffer (57.73) rounded out Iowa’s other season-bests in the 100 back.
Iowa had each a swimmer and diver qualify to compete in the finals of Friday’s events. Junior Aleksandra Olesiak swam 1:04.29 in the 100 breast preliminary to earn a second swim in the C Final, where she swam 1:04.04 to finish 24th to earn a point for the Hawkeyes.
Sophomore Sarah Ballard had a successful bout off the 3-meter springboard with a 285.95. She went on to score 245.60 in the consolation final, adding 11 points to Iowa’s team score.
In the final event of the night (200-free relay), Iowa’s quartet of junior Kennedy Gilbertson, sophomores Maddie Black and Anna Pfeiffer, and junior Ariel Wooden swam a 1:33.82 to score 30 points.
Junior Georgia Clark was recognized as Iowa’s Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship Award honoree during Friday’s finals.
The Hawkeyes enter Saturday’s preliminary events with a team score of 134 points.
Saturday’s events include the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, platform diving, 1,650 free and the championships will conclude with the 400-free relay. Competition will begin at 10 a.m. (CT).
