Notes: UNI

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa swimming and diving team hosts its first meet of the 2025-26 season on Friday. Competing against the University of Northern Iowa, the meet will begin at 5 p.m. at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. It is Iowa’s Pink Out meet.

B1G ATHLETES TO WATCH
Diver Geneva Pauly and swimmer Olivia Swalley were named the Big Ten Athletes to Watch before the 2025-26 season. Pauly, a senior from Arvada, Colorado, returns to the diving well after placing 10th from the tower at the 2025 NCAA Zone Diving Championships. She qualified to zones in all three dives a season ago. Pauly’s 278.65 points in the platform dive ranks second all-time in school history. From the 1-meter springboard, Pauly holds Iowa’s ninth-best total (312.95). Swalley returns for her junior year after leading the team in four events a season ago. The native of Johnston, Iowa, is the school record holder in the 400 IM (4:10.54). Swalley is second in the 100 breast and 200 IM, while holding the fourth-fastest time in the 200 breast. In total, Swalley won 21 individual races and was a part of three winning relays during the 2024-25 season.

2025 SEASON RECAP
Iowa swimming and diving posted a record of 5-3 during the 2024-2025 season, beating UNI, Nebraska, Iowa State, Illinois and Rutgers. During the annual Cy-Hawk meet, the Hawkeyes tallied 15 event wins, 10 lifetime bests and four program top-10 updates to take down the Cyclones. During the Hawkeye Invite, the team collected 46 personal bests, 24 season bests and seven top-10 records for a fifth-place finish. Olivia Swalley broke a long-time school record in the 400 IM on day two of the invite, touching the wall in 4:10.54. Swimmer Olivia Frantum placed fourth at the meet and ninth in the Iowa’s all-time record book for the 1,650 freestyle, with Alix O’Brien right behind her at fifth in the meet and tenth all-time. Diver Geneva Pauly scored a personal record of 278.65 during the platform prelims, while Stephanie Avram collected a lifetime best of 237.85 in the platform final. Several Hawkeyes competed at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships. Makayla Hughbanks finished 18th on the 3-meter dive after jumping six spots to qualify for the finals. In the 1-meter dive prelims, Hughbanks, Woodward and Pauly finished in the top 45 and on the final day, Pauly placed 10th in the Platform Dive with a total of 523.25 to round out Iowa’s season. 

HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
The Hawkeyes are welcoming eight newcomers to the team, including six freshmen. Rookies Zita Bernatsky from Winnipeg, Canada, and Kamila Swanson from North Liberty, Iowa, join the diving team. Freshmen swimmers Payton Flowers from DeForest, Wisconsin, Faith Frantum from Johnston, Iowa, Willa Hage from Urbandale, Iowa, and Ella Jean Kelly from Western Springs, Illinois round out the incoming freshman class. Two transfers join the Hawkeyes: sophomore swimmer Emilie Mosner from Lititz, Pennsylvania, who previously swam at Monmouth and sophomore swimmer Audrey Olen from Elm Grove, Wisconsin, who previously swam at Auburn.

HAWKEYE RETURNERS
Of the 26-person roster, 18 are returning Hawkeyes. With six seniors and six juniors, the upperclassmen have a strong leading presence. Olivia Swalley returns as the school-record holder in the 400 IM. Geneva Pauly leads the divers. During the Big Ten Championships, three returning Hawkeyes updated the Iowa top-10 list. Junior Hope Schimming in the 200 back prelim notched the 6th-all time, sophomore Rachel Dildine in the 100 free reached 4th all-time, and junior Josie Hood recorded a 10th-best during the 200 fly. 

ROSTER BREAKDOWN
This year’s roster includes six freshman, seven sophomores, seven juniors and six seniors. Of those student-athletes, eight are from Iowa, five from Illinois, three from Wisconsin, two from Nebraska, and one from each of the states of Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. There are two international Hawkeyes who come from Canada and Turkey. 

MAKING MARKS
The Hawkeyes combined for 21 top-10 program performances and counting throughout the 2024-25 season.  

• 50 Free - Rachel Dildine (22.90) - 6th all-time
• 100 Free - Rachel Dildine (49.91) - 4th all-time
• 100 Back - Annie Galvin (54.30) - 8th all-time
• 200 Back - Hope Schimming (1:57.41) - 6th all-time
• 200 Free - Nora Kemp (1:48.46) - 9th all-time
• 200 Breast - Olivia Swalley (2:12.42) - 4th all-time
• 100 Fly - Rachel Dildine (54.36) - 9th all-time
• 200 Fly - Josie Hood (2:02.17) - 10th all-time
• 200 IM - Olivia Swalley (1:57.89) - 2nd all-time
• 400 IM - Olivia Swalley (4:10.54) - 1st all-time
• 500 Free - Alix O’Brien (4:48.53) - 9th all-time
• 1000 Free - Alix O’Brien (9:59.10) - 7th all-time
• 1000 Free - Olivia Frantum (10:01.75) - 9th all-time
• 1650 Free - Olivia Frantum (16:39.75) - 8th all-time
• 1650 Free - Alix O’Brien (16:40.07) - 9th all-time
• 200 Medley Relay - Galvin, Swalley, Dildine, Hood (1:40.15) - 9th all-time
• 1-Meter Dive - Makayla Hughbanks (317.65) - 7th all-time
• 1-Meter Dive - Geneva Pauly (312.95) - 9th all-time
• 3-Meter Dive - Makayla Hughbanks (358.10) - 5th all-time
• Platform Dive - Geneva Pauly (278.65) - 2nd all-time
• Platform Dive - Stephanie Avram (237.85) - 7th all-time

UP NEXT 
Iowa hosts Minnesota on October 31st with the meet starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. It is the Hawkeyes’ Blackout meet.