IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving had two individual and one relay top-ten program performances in day two of the Hawkeye Invitational at the CRWC Natatorium.
Three marks made their way in the Iowa record book. Freshman Scarlet Martin scored 20 points by winning the 100-fly final with the program’s fifth fastest time (53.84). Sophomore Makayla Hughbanks capped off the night with a career-best 355.40 total to score 20 points in the 3-meter dive finals, ranking fifth all-time in program history. Iowa kicked off the night’s finals by placing second in the 200 medley relay. The Hawkeyes’ quartet of senior Kennedy Gilbertson, graduate-student Sheridan Schreiber, Martin, and junior Maddie Black scored 14 points with the program’s 10th-best performance all-time (1:40.75).
The Hawkeyes had 13 swimmers and five divers qualify for scoring in the final rounds during the Friday-morning preliminary session. Gilbertson qualified for finals 100 fly in section A along with Martin.
Four Hawkeyes paced their way into scoring position for the 200-free final rounds. Freshman Sabina Kupcova placed herself in section A, while sophomore Molly Pedersen and freshmen Madison Stone and Sila Ozkazanc all swam to compete in section B.
Sophomore Alix O’Brien was the lone Hawkeye to compete in the 400 IM prelim, placing in section A. Both Schreiber (section A) and senior Aleksandra Olesiak (section B) put themselves in scoring position for the 100 breast final rounds.
Rounding out Iowa’s qualifying swimmers were Gilbertson, Martin, Pedersen, and junior Anna Pfeiffer for the 100 back finals.
Junior Sarah Ballard led the Hawkeyes in the 3-meter prelims with a 297.95 to qualify for the night’s final rounds. Hughbanks tallied 276.20 to also place in scoring position.
Gilbertson added 14 points with a fifth-place finish, nodding her prelim time by 0.03 seconds (55.05). O’Brien scored 12 points in the 400 IM, respectively.
Kupcova marked down 12 points with a career-best 1:49.65 finish in the 200 free final. Pedersen, Ozkazanc, and Stone recorded 6,4, and 1 to Iowa’s total in the same event. Both Schreiber (1:02.38) and Olesiak (1:03.68) found season-bests in the 100 breast finals, scoring 14 and 9 points.
Gilbertson notched her second top-five finish of the night, scoring 17 points in the 100 back. Martin posted her career-best 55.90 to score 13. Pfeiffer scored 9 with 57.15 – just 0.03 seconds shy of her career-best time. Pederson added 7 points, respectively.
Ballard also improved from the prelim session with a season-high 298.55 to score 14. Junior Claire Hartley and freshmen Geneva Pauly and Lainey Woodward rounded out diving scoring with 7,6, and 5 points, respectively.
Iowa will wrap up the Hawkeye Invitation on Saturday with the 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, 400 free relay, and platform dive events. Preliminary rounds are set to begin at 10 a.m. (CT), followed by finals at 5 p.m. (CT).
