Swim & Dive Notes: B1G Championships

THIS WEEK
University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving travels to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the 2023 Big Ten Championships inside the Canham Natatorium. Competition begins on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. (CT).

FOLLOW LIVE

• Live results are available on hawkeyesports.com (via the schedule page) and Meet Mobile.
• Fans can also follow the Hawkeyes on Twitter/IowaSwimDive for live updates.
• The meet will be live streamed on B1G+ (subscription required).

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Iowa kicked off the 2022-23 season with a 192-107 victory against UNI.
• The Hawkeyes tied Vanderbilt at 131 in the last home meet of the 2022-23 season.
• Six Iowa athletes performed top-ten marks in program history during the Hawkeye Invitational on Dec. 1-3.
• The Hawkeyes entered the season returning seven athletes and welcoming 14 newcomers, including three transfers.
• Amongst the returners are junior divers Sarah Ballard and Claire Hartley and sophomore Makayla Hughbanks, who all qualified to compete in last season’s NCAA Zone D Diving Championships.

ETCHED IN THE BOOKS
The Hawkeyes have combined for 14 top-ten program performances
throughout the course of the 2022-23 season.

• 50 Free – Kennedy Gilbertson (22.75) – 4th all-time
• 100 Free – Sabina Kupcova (50.26) – T-6th all-time
• 200 Free – Sabina Kupcova (1:48.59) – 7th all-time
• 1000 Free – Alix O’Brien (10:04.70) – 9th all-time
• 100 Breast – Sheridan Schreiber (1:02.12) – 8th all-time
• 100 Back – Kennedy Gilbertson (53.66) – 5th all-time
• 100 Fly – Scarlet Martin (53.45) – 4th all-time
• 200 Fly – Scarlet Martin (1:59.93) – 6th all-time
• 200 IM – Sabina Kupcova (2:02.59) – 8th all-time
• 200 Medley Relay – Gilbertson, Schreiber, Martin, Pedersen (1:40.27) – 8th all-time
• 200 Medley Relay – Gilbertson, Schreiber, Martin, Black (1:40.75) – 10th all-time
• 400 Free Relay – Gilbertson, Kupcova, Pedersen, Martin (3:20.08) – 5th all-time
• 1 Meter Dive – Makayla Hughbanks (311.55) – 8th all-time
• 3 Meter Dive – Makayla Hughbanks (355.40) – 5th all-time
• Platform Dive – Geneva Pauly (266.05) – 3rd all-time
• Platform Dive – Claire Hartley (246.00) – 5th all-time

HIGHLIGHTING HUGHBANKS
Sophomore Makayla Hughbanks came away with a career-best 355.40 total to score 20 points in the 3-meter dive finals during the Hawkeye Invite (Dec. 1-3), ranking fifth all-time in program history. The Bettendorf, Iowa, native also leads the team in the 1-meter dive score, posting a zone-qualifying total of 311.55 versus Illinois.

HIGHLIGHTING HUGHBANKS

Sophomore Makayla Hughbanks came away with a career-best 355.40 total to score 20 points in the 3-meter dive finals during the Hawkeye Invite (Dec. 1-3), ranking fifth all-time in program history. The Bettendorf, Iowa, native also leads the team in the 1-meter dive score, posting a zone-qualifying total of 311.55 versus Illinois.

THRIVING NEWCOMERS

Iowa has 28 individual wins amongst its freshmen and transfers. Denison University transfer Alix O’Brien has contributed to five of those victories, her latest coming in the 1000 free against Vanderbilt. Freshman Scarlet Martin has accounted for eight wins, also picking up a victory against Vanderbilt (100 fly). Both the TCU graduate transfer Sheridan Schreiber and freshman Sabina Kupcova also have added multiple wins as well. Kupcova accounted for two wins against Vanderbilt  in the 50 and 200 free.

REPPING SLOVAKIA

Freshman and Levice, Slovakia, native Sabina Kupcova traveled to the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis to compete in the FINA World Cup. Kupcova raced in the 400 free, 200 free, and 200 individual medley for a chance to qualify for the FINA Championships.

VETERAN PRESENCE

Senior Kennedy Gilbertson contributed to a combined four individual and relay wins in Iowa’s final home meet of the season, and took gold in the 100 back with a B-cut 53.66 at Northwestern. Gilbertson has also headed off Iowa’s season-fastest 200 free, 400 free and 200 medley relay squads — all timing top-ten in program history. Senior Aleksandra Olesiak also has a 2022-23 individual victory under her belt. The Colorado native posted first place in 200 back against UNI.

BREAKING RECORDS

The Hawkeyes broke four Glen F. Henry Pool records in the 2022-23 opener at UNI, including Schreiber’s 100 breast (1:04.16) , Martin’s 50 free (23.55) and 100 fly (54.60), and the 400 free relay (Kupcova, Gilbertson, Pedersen, Martin).

HAWKEYE COACHING STAFF
• Nathan Mundt returned for his second stint with the Hawkeyes and is the seventh head coach in program history. The Indiana native served as an Iowa assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2008-16 where he coached 33 All-Americans and 42 NCAA qualifiers, helping the Hawkeyes to six top 40 NCAA finishes and 115 school records.
• Diving coach Todd Waikel entered his 10th season with the program. Waikel has coached five All-Americans during his tenure in Iowa City and 15 NCAA Championship qualifiers.
• Mona Groteguth-Garcia also returned for her second season on the Hawkeye coaching staff, joining the Hawkeyes in 2021 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 travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, on Feb. 25-26 for an opportunity to improve current B-cut times and qualify for the NCAA Championships.