Notes: Hawkeye Invitational

THIS WEEK
Iowa hosts the Hawkeye Invitational from November 17-20. Action will begin inside the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Prelims start at 10 a.m. on Wednesday through Friday. Finals start at 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 4 p.m. on Friday. 

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
The meet will be streamed on the IowaSwimDive YouTube channel. Follow the official Iowa Swimming and Diving 'X' account for live updates of the meet. Fans can also follow along through MeetMobile.

A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
Iowa will host Colorado State, Fresno State, Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana State, Iowa State, Miami (FL), Nebraska, Rutgers (diving), UConn and UNI. 

LAST MEET
The University of Iowa swimming and diving team hosted Purdue and UCLA for a Big Ten double dual. The Hawkeyes fell to Purdue, 178-122, and UCLA, 180-120. Iowa collected 11 season-best updates, eight personal bests and three event wins throughout the meet. Sophomore Payton Flowers led the Hawkeyes with her sweep of the 50 and 100 free events. Flowers touched the wall in a season-best 22.56 during the 50 free, and finished the 100 free in 50.17. Senior Olivia Swalley tallied Iowa's third individual win in the 200 IM after a season-best 2:03.84. Freshmen Cheyenne Borroughs, Klare Pilger and Ariyana Nieckula all notched personal bests during the double dual. Borroughs tabbed a pair in the breaststroke races with 1:04.30 in the 100 and 2:21.25 in the 200, placing fifth and sixth, respectively. Pilger notched hers in the 100 back  after claiming third in 55.90, and Nieckula tallied hers in the 200 fly after finishing fourth in 2:02.11.

HAWKEYE HEADLINERS
The preseason Hawkeye headliners were Zita Bernatsky and Payton Flowers. The sophomore duo was named to the 2026-27 Big Ten Athletes to Watch list. Both had record-breaking rookie seasons and are back with the Hawkeyes for their second collegiate seasons. 

DIVING IN
The University of Iowa divers shined in the preseason. Four Hawkeyes -- first-year Bianca Hutter, second-years Zita Bernatsky and Kamila Swanson, and third-year Stephanie Avram competed at the AAU Diving Nationals in late July. Bernatsky took home gold in the one-meter with a personal record of 299.20. Hutter came in fourth (279.25), Swanson in tenth (244.75), and Avram right behind her in 11th (236.15). In the three-meter, Swanson placed third with a personal record of 294.75, Bernatsky came in fifth (281.95), Hutter in eighth (250.90), and Avram in tenth (238.10). Off the platform, Bernatsky placed fourth with a personal record of 239.05, Avram in tenth (201.35), Swanson in 13th (177.95), and Hutter in 15th (171.10). 

BUILDING THE FOUNDATION

• Iowa finished the 2025-26 season with a final record of 5-3.
• At the Big Ten Championships, the Hawkeyes tabbed 14 top-10 program record book adjustments, 16 lifetime bests and nine season-best updates. Iowa also sent four divers to the NCAA Zone Diving Championships in the postseason.
• The University of Iowa welcomed eight teams for the 2025-26 Hawkeye Invitational: Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Miami (FL), Nebraska, Northern Iowa, UConn, and Washington State. Iowa finished with three event champions and, as a team, third overall with 1,059 points. 
• Seventeen swimming and diving student-athletes were named to the 2025-26 winter Academic All-Big Ten Team. Among them were returners Stephanie Avram, Elizabeth Beam, student assistant coach Simone Beinlich, Hannah Cousins, Rachel Dildine, Olivia Frantum, Josie Hood, Mallory Kell, Audrey Olen, Hope Schimming and Olivia Swalley. 
• Iowa had five swimmers improve their times throughout the season: Payton Flowers (50 free from 22.59 to 21.94, 100 free from 49.34 to 48.80, and 100 fly from 53.71 to 52.49), Rachel Dildine (50 free from 23.63 to 22.80, 100 free from 52.96 to 49.75, 200 free from 1:52.49 to 1:49.58, and 100 fly from 54.36 to 53.43), Audrey Olen (100 free from 50.37 to 50.34, 200 free from 1:49.16 to 1:48.28, and 100 back from 56.05 to 56.02), Olivia Swalley (100 breast from 1:01.45 to 1:01.02, 200 breast from 2:14.07 to 2:12.92, 200 IM from 1:58.59 to 1:57.88, and 400 IM from 4:13.75 to 4:10.54), and Jenna Kerr (100 free from 50.36 to 49.27, 200 free from 1:47.32 to 1:46.97, 500 free from 4:46.30 to 4:45.15, and 1650 free from 16:46.68 to 16:34.23).

SCHOOL-RECORD HOLDERS
Three school records have been set by current members of the 2026-27 Iowa roster:

• Payton Flowers: 50 Free (21.94)
• Payton Flowers, Rachel Dildine, Ella Jean Kelly, Audrey Olen: 200 Free Relay (1:29.68)
• Payton Flowers, Audrey Olen, Rachel Dildine, Jenna Kerr: 400 Free Relay (3:17.94)

A CLOSER LOOK
The 2026-27 Iowa swimming and diving roster features 18 returners and eight newcomers. The Hawkeye roster is made up of seven student-athletes returning for their senior seasons including Addie Crain, Olivia Frantum, Josie Hood, Mallory Kell, Jenna Kerr, Hope Schimming and Olivia Swalley. Six Hawkeyes begin their third year: Stephanie Avram, Elizabeth Beam, Hannah Cousins, Rachel Dildine, Emilie Mosner and Audrey Olen. Five swimmers and divers return for their sophomore seasons including Zita Bernatsky, Payton Flowers, Willa Hage, Ella Jean Kelly and Kamila Swanson. The Hawkeyes welcomed eight first-years to the roster including swimmer Cheyenne Borroughs from Stoughton, Wisconsin, swimmer Addison Carlile from Newburgh, Indiana, diver Adelyn Flessner from Indianapolis, diver Bianca Hutter from Austin, Texas, swimmer Ariyana Nieckula from Yorkville, Illinois, diver Katie Parker from Bentonville, Arkansas, swimmer Klare Pilger from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and swimmer Addy Szakaly from South Bend, Indiana.

MAKING MARKS: FRESHMEN
Throughout the beginning of the season, the Hawkeye newcomers have been making their presence known. During the opening meet against Marquette, Klare Pilger recorded an individual event win in the 100 back (56.62) and led the 200 medley relay team of Swalley, Dildine and Flowers that took home first (1:43.04). Against ranked Minnesota, Pilger, Cheyenne Borroughs, and Ariyana Nieckula all set personal records. During the double dual with Purdue and UCLA, all three updated those personal bests. Pilger in the 100 back with 55.90, Borroughs in the 100 (1:03.18) and 200 (2:21.25) breaststroke, and Nieckula in the 200 fly (2:02.11). Adelyn Flessner also notched a personal best off the three-meter springboard (271.00).

MAKING MARKS: RETURNERS
Iowa has 13 athletes returning after etching their names in the all-time record book: sophomores Zita Bernatsky, Payton Flowers, and Ella Jean Kelly, juniors Stephanie Avram, Hannah Cousins, Rachel Dildine, Emilie Mosner, and Audrey Olen, and seniors Olivia Frantum, Josie Hood, Jenna Kerr, Hope Schimming, and Olivia Swalley. Against Marquette, these 13 athletes accounted for 10 of the 14 event wins. During the ranked Minnesota meet, Flowers, Kelly, Schimming, Cousins, Mosner, Olen, Swalley, and Frantum all recorded season-best times. At the double dual with Purdue and UCLA, Flowers, Schimming, Mosner, Swalley, and Avram tabbed season-best updates. Kerr recorded a personal-best 23.67 during the 50 free, and Avram recorded a personal-best 289.10 off the three-meter springboard. 

UP NEXT
Iowa will travel to Coral Gables, Florida, for a double dual against Miami and Notre Dame on Jan. 5 at 2 p.m. (CT).