After four meets and nearly a month of competition, the ISU swimming and diving team will finally have their first home meet on Friday, Nov. 8. Additionally, the meet will also be the squad’s first conference match up of the season.

The Cyclones (3-0-1, 0-0 Big 12) will be taking on the Texas Christian (1-2, 1-0 Big 12) in their home and conference opener.

Though the two teams are conference opponents, this will mark the first time the teams have ever faced off against each other in a dual meet.

Swimming against a conference opponent and being in their home pool for the first time this season has Iowa State pumped up.

“We’re excited. Everyone is swimming really well. We’re on a high right now,” said senior Emily Wiltsie. “We know it’ll be a tough matchup … but we’re excited especially because it’s at home.”

This will also be the first home meet for the freshmen, aside from the intrasquad meet that kicked off the season, and their first conference meet.

“I think the freshmen are all really excited,” said freshman Karyl Clarete.

The meet will be the last dual meet for more than a month as the team will shift into a different part of its season schedule. After a string of dual meets to begin the season, the swimmers won’t have another meet until the Kansas Invitational between Nov. 22 and 24, which will include multiple teams and preliminary races before finals races.

The divers won’t compete again until Dec. 6 to 8, where they will compete in the Iowa Invitational in Iowa City. After the invitationals, Iowa State will finally have its next dual meet against Iowa on Dec. 13.

“Every phase of our season is all geared for the Big 12 meet,” said ISU coach Duane Sorenson of the upcoming schedule.

For now, Iowa State is focused on TCU. Conference opponents raise the bar in terms of competitiveness. With this being the first time Iowa State and TCU ever face off, each team is eager to start off the series with a win.

Sorenson has been looking over the times of both teams and expects a close meet. He said some events are extremely even between both teams, with Iowa State being stronger in some and Texas Christian stronger in others.

“They have got a lot of depth. They have no real weak events,” Sorenson said, also noting the backstroke events, 1000-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, and 500-meter freestyle would be crucial. “Everybody’s got to go out there and do their job. It’s going to be who wants it more for first-place [finishes] and who has the better depth going down to fourth- and fifth-place [finishes].”