Twice the teams and twice the competition await the ISU swimming and diving team (1-1) this Friday at its double dual against South Dakota and Nebraska.

This is the team’s only scheduled double dual meet, which will create some changes for Iowa State. Rather than having to win an individual heat, the swimmers will have to get the best time out of both heats in order to place.

“It should be a fun meet because we get to swim four people in each event; we’ll have two heats on each event so anybody can win,” said coach Duane Sorenson.

Diving coach Jeff Warrick and Sorenson both look at Nebraska (4-0) as the bigger hurdle in this meet.

“Nebraska has some just outstanding individuals, so to try to compete with them in the first place [will be a challenge], but then in a dual meet depth wins, so to beat their second and third swimmer too so it’s [going to] be quite a challenge to do that,” Sorenson said. “South Dakota has some very good individuals, but they don’t have nearly the depth that Nebraska and our team have.”

Warrick said the team will not change to prepare for this meet or deviate from their long-term plan, but hopes to get all his divers ready and in the mindset of competition, especially when facing a team as strong as Nebraska.

“We’re [going to] have more divers with the two other teams so that actually makes it [closer] to our bigger meets, which is a good environment to be in,” Warrick said. “Nebraska’s got a lot of good divers and they are always bringing their best when we compete against them, so I think they are going to be a good challenge.”

Despite the level of competition at this meet, assistant coach Kelly Nordell is confident in Iowa State’s ability to win some heats over South Dakota and Nebraska.

“I’m looking forward to good racing and getting our hand on the wall first,” Nordell said.

Iowa State is coming off a win against South Dakota State, where it took first place in all but two events.

After that meet, Sorenson and Nordell both mentioned turns as something to work on in preparation for the next meet. Sorenson says they have been practicing staying sharp on turns and also staying consistently strong throughout each race as they head into competition this Friday.

“We’re really [going to] be focusing at getting out fast at the beginning of our races, because we know Nebraska is very good, so we want to be out fast and then hang on towards the end of our races,” Sorenson said.