This week it will be a different kind of dual meet for the ISU swimming and diving team.

The Cyclones (5-3, 0-2 Big 12) will compete in a dual meet this weekend with the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kan., but it will play out over two days instead of the traditional one.

Half of the events are scheduled for Friday night and the other half for Saturday morning.

The divers will also have a third event, competing on the platform along with the springboard events.

Swimming coach Duane Sorenson said the team is using the unusual meet structure to prepare for the Big 12 Championships in College Station, Texas, beginning Feb. 14.

“This will prepare our team to stand up and race like they will have to at Conference,” Sorenson said. “This will kind of be our dress rehearsal. We also want to try and fine-tune our races, as well.”

Iowa State is coming off of a tight 153-145 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers last Saturday. The Cyclones are also looking to snap a string of three consecutive losses after starting the season 5-0. The Jayhawks’ (5-1, 1-1 Big 12) last meet was also against Nebraska, but Kansas edged out a tight victory, 154.5-145.5.

Both teams have also swum against and defeated South Dakota State, the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Northern Iowa. Missouri has handed both the Cyclones and the Jayhawks a conference loss by a healthy margin.

Freshman Lindsey Behrens said the team wants to improve its times from the last meet.

“It is just one more opportunity to prepare ourselves mentally,” Behrens said.

One Cyclone who is looking to continue her current hot streak is senior Lauren Breunig. Dating back to the Iowa meet before Winter Break, Breunig has won nine consecutive titles in individual races.

Diving coach Jeff Warrick said the goal for the divers is very similar to the goal of the Nebraska meet – fine-tune their performances.

“Platform will be exhibition, but this meet will be very similar to Conference,” Warrick said. “We will be fine tuning, but preparing for Conference as well.”

Sophomore Haley Haynes, who has been battling an arm injury all year, will compete in her first 3-meter competition in several meets.

Haynes said she hopes to improve her consistency from the Nebraska meet.

“I would like to dive close to the Zone score,” Haynes said, referring to the NCAA Zone Diving Championships. “It would be nice to get a season best and just dive well.”