Swalley Wins 400 IM

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa junior Olivia Swalley was crowned the champion of the 400 IM on Thursday night at the Hawkeye Invitational. Her season-best 4:11.23 pulled away from the field and marks the second-straight year she has won the title.

Swalley turned in a then-season best during the prelims of the 400 IM, stopping the clock in 4:16.45. She moved on to the A final, where she was crowned the champion in 4:11.23. The Johnston, Iowa, native is the reigning champion in the 400 IM after placing first in back-to-back Hawkeye Invites.

Rachel Dildine and Payton Flowers started the day with a pair of top-10 times in the 100 butterfly prelims. Dildine rose to sixth with her 53.72, while Flowers updated the eighth-fastest time in 53.96. Both swimmers qualified to the championship final. Hannah Cousins debuted in the event and swam a 55.25 to break into the B final.

To start the evening session, Dildine bested her prelim top-10 time. Touching the wall in 53.67, she remains sixth at Iowa. Flowers completed the race in 54.89, placing her seventh overall. Cousins notched a finals time of 55.38 to finish 14th and Josie Hood collected a season-best time of 55.94 to place 27th. 

“Really strong performances all through the night from the entire team, we asked them to do a lot today,” head coach Nathan Mundt said. “Multiple team members had double swims in the morning and at night, triple for some, and it was all for the team. We really worked hard to earn everything, and we've all come together with that belief that we’re going to do what it takes, so I think that's what we're most proud of at this point in the meet. We're excited to compete and come back against some great quality programs here and see if we can come out on top.”

Nora Kemp claimed the final qualification spot into the championship final of the 200 freestyle, swimming a season-best 1:49.33. Jenna Kerr and Rachel Dildine earned spots in the B final. Olivia Frantum and Audrey Olen made their way into the C final. 

In the 200 free finals race, Kemp took eighth (1:49.95) to round out the championship final. In the B final, Dildine claimed 12th (1:49.58), with Kerr right behind (1:50.05) in 14th. Frantum (1:50.57) and Olen (1:50.88) claimed 22nd and 23rd overall, respectively.

In the 100 backstroke, Flowers stopped the clock in 55.86 to claim 15th overall. Sophomore Elizabeth Beam tallied a season-best 55.62 to take home 19th and fellow sophomores Hannah Cousins (55.87) and Audrey Olen (56.02) were right behind to place 22nd and 27th overall, respectively.

During the 100 breaststroke, a season best and personal best were tallied. The season best belonged to Emilie Mosner (1:03.59) who finished 19th, and the personal best was recorded by freshman Ella Jean Kelly, who finished the race in 1:03.42. Swalley also raced in the event and took 13th in 1:03.40. Freshman Willa Hage (1:04.82) came in 30th. 

To end the third night of competition, the 400 medley relay team of Cousins, Swalley, Dildine and Flowers clocked a 3:40.68 to place sixth. Beam, Mosner, Hood and Kelly were in 10th (3:44.24) and Olen, Hage, Wendel and Kerr took 16th with a time of 3:46.48. 

Three divers qualified to the championship final off the three-meter springboard. Geneva Pauly finished fourth in the prelims with 286.55 points. Freshman Zita Bernatsky was fifth with 283.15. Senior Lainey Woodward executed her final dive to claim the final spot. Freshman Kamila Swanson earned a place in the consolation finals with a total of 265.20 in the prelims.

The Hawkeye divers fought hard in the three-meter finals. Clinching silver, Woodward scored a personal best of 321.00 points. Bernatsky had a personal best as well, collecting 303.95 points. Pauly placed seventh with a final score of 263.35 and Swanson came in 12th with a personal best of 277.60. 

Iowa swimming and diving remains in third place with a total of 737 team points. 

Up Next: Iowa wraps up the Hawkeye Invitational on Friday with prelims beginning at 10 a.m. (CT) at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. 

HAWKEYE RESULTS
100 Backstroke Prelims
13. Payton Flowers - 55.48
17. Hannah Cousins - 55.74, SB
20. Elizabeth Beam - 55.82, SB
28. Audrey Olen - 56.57
39. Addie Crain - 57.80, SB
45. Olivia Asay - 58.99

100 Backstroke Finals
15. Payton Flowers - 55.86
19. Elizabeth Beam - 55.62, SB
22. Hannah Cousins - 55.87
27. Audrey Olen - 56.02

100 Breaststroke Prelims
13. Olivia Swalley - 1:03.40
17. Emilie Mosner - 1:03.70, SB
20. Ella Jean Kelly - 1:04.17, PR
27. Willa Hage - 1:04.63, SB

100 Breaststroke Finals
14. Olivia Swalley - 1:03.48
18. Ella Jean Kelly - 1:03.42, PR
19. Emilie Mosner - 1:03.59, SB
30. Willa Hage - 1:04.82

100 Butterfly Prelims
4. Rachel Dildine - 53.72, PR + 6th at Iowa
5. Payton Flowers - 53.96, PR + 8th at Iowa
15. Hannah Cousins - 55.25
28. Josie Hood - 56.37, SB
42. Leslie Wendel - 57.28, SB
43. Olivia Asay - 57.35, SB

100 Butterfly Finals
3. Rachel Dildine - 53.67, 6th at Iowa
7. Payton Flowers - 54.89
14. Hannah Cousins - 55.38
27. Josie Hood - 55.94, SB

200 Freestyle Prelims
8. Nora Kemp - 1:49.33, SB
11. Jenna Kerr - 1:49.92, SB
15. Rachel Dildine - 1:50.36
17. Olivia Frantum - 1:50.57
21. Audrey Olen - 1:50.96
55. Meredith O’Malley - 1:55.33

200 Freestyle Finals
8. Nora Kemp - 1:49.95
12. Rachel Dildine - 1:49.58
14. Jenna Kerr - 1:50.05
22. Olivia Frantum - 1:50.57
23. Audrey Olen - 1:50.88

400 IM Prelims
2. Olivia Swalley - 4:16.45, SB
31. Mallory Kell - 4:34.46, SB

400 IM Finals
1. Olivia Swalley - 4:11.23, SB
27. Mallory Kell - 4:32.31, SB

400 Medley Relay Finals
6. Cousins, Swalley, Dildine, Flowers - 3:40.68
10. Beam, Mosner, Hood, Kelly - 3:44.24
16. Olen, Hage, Wendel, Kerr - 3:46.48

3-Meter Dive Prelims
4. Geneva Pauly - 286.55
5. Zita Bernatsky - 283.15
8. Lainey Woodward - 275.85
13. Kamila Swanson - 265.20

3-Meter Dive Finals
2. Lainey Woodward - 321.00 points, PR
5. Zita Bernatsky - 303.95 points, PR
7. Geneva Pauly - 263.35 points
12. Kamila Swanson - 277.60 points, PR