Senior swimmers prepare for last home meet

John Barry

After coming off a tough day in the pool last Saturday in Champaign, Ill., the Cyclone swimming and diving team returns to Beyer Pool this weekend for the last two home meets of the 2012-13 season.

On Friday evening, Iowa State hosts Nebraska-Omaha followed by Senior Day against Northern Iowa on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Seniors have made their mark, with some even making it in Iowa State’s record books. Marley Dobyns made it on the all-time top-10 list on Platform Diving with five dives. Dani Harris and Sarah Norris also made it on the list for the 200 medley relay.

Senior successes have led to solid performances by the rest of the team.

“We are really excited to see how our hard work in practices pay off this weekend,” said senior swimmer Tiana Wollin. “The team has had really great chemistry and I will miss this group.”

For some seniors, this meet will be an emotional end to four years of collegiate swimming and diving. Reaching team goals in the last home meet of the season will be a reward in itself.

“All the girls want to be the best we can be, we have high goals and we want to do everything for each other that we can to achieve those goals,” said senior swimmer Sarah Norris. “It’s an exciting weekend for me, I will have a lot of my family here to see one of my last swims, and I hope I can use all of the excitement to have one of the best meets of my life.”

Although the team record may not show the best results, significant strides have been made for this group of women that has the whole team excited for the future.

“We’ve had a tough and challenging season and it’s all to make us better in the long run,” Norris said. “I love these girls.”

These two meets and the two meets in Kansas on Feb. 8 and 9 will be the last of the regular season for Iowa State. If the Cyclones can win out, they will finish the season above the .500 mark.