The women’s swimming and diving team has nearly put the finishing touches on the 2009-2010 swimming season after completing the Big 12 Championships at the end of February. The Cyclones had a stellar performance from senior swimmer Nan Liu, the only swimmer able to qualify for the NCAA Championships from March 18 to 20 in West Lafayette, Ind.

Nan missed out on the finals for the 200-yard backstroke, but managed to win the consolation race to finish ninth overall with a new school record time of 1:57.45. The time stands as an NCAA ‘B’ cut that qualifies her for the championships. Freshman Dani Harris also had a great showing in her first Big 12 Swimming Championships, finishing fourth in the consolation of the 200-yard backstroke.

Both Liu and Harris had times of less than two minutes in the event, making them only the third and fourth Cyclone swimmers to do so. 

Junior Jeli Nixt added another school record to the pile with her performance in the 200-yard breaststroke, as she won the consolation final in the event. The third school record of the meet came in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

The senior relay squad of Liu, Abby Glaser, Lindsey Behrens and Frances Calzada took fifth place in 3:23.02 and earned an NCAA ‘B’ standard time.

Swimming coach Duane Sorenson was glad that these special groups of swimmers were able to make the exit they did.

“It was four seniors [swimmers] and it was a great way for them to go out,” Sorenson said. 

Senior Tien Tran continued her efforts to cement herself as the best diver in ISU history with the splash she made at the Big 12 Championships. Tran, an All-Big 12 diver on the one-meter dive as a junior, went out with a new school record.

Tran’s score of 271.75 broke the five-year-old school record held previously by Hillary Nichols. Nichols was a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Diving Championships as a Cyclone.

Tran had previously qualified three times, and she is now qualified for the fourth time to compete this weekend at the NCAA Diving Championships at Texas A&M University’s Student Recreation Center Natatorium. 

The broken school records pushed the Cyclones to a fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships, with 338 points. Texas A&M was able to capture the overall Big 12 Championship with 1,002 points.

Tran is one of only four Cyclone divers who have been able to qualify for NCAA Zone ‘D’ Diving Championships. Tran has a strong chance of qualifying for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships this weekend at Texas A&M as she tries to join Liu as a Cyclone qualifier.

Liu will compete in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke to become the first Cyclone to qualify for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships since 2007. The women’s swimming and diving teams will finish the season with an overall record of 8-4 and 0-3 in Big 12 competition. The season hasn’t been without bright spots with the help of numerous new school records and the hopes of additional NCAA qualifiers who could join Liu this weekend. The rest of the Cyclone swimmers will cheer Tran and junior Abby Christensen on this weekend as they hope to become two of the 10 women who will qualify for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. This will be Christensen’s first appearance at an NCAA Zone meet.