An athlete’s first time on the “big stage” can be built upon later, using the experience of the bright lights to further his or her career.

Junior Lauren Breunig felt that rush for the first time at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday.

Breunig placed 28th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:48.81, a second short of qualifying for 16th place, the cutoff for the finals and for scoring team points. The Cyclones did not get any team points, and Auburn won the team title by three points, the second smallest margin in NCAA history.

Breunig was right up with the leaders of her heat for the majority of the race but could not hold on.

Swimming coach Duane Sorenson said the 200 freestyle was Breunig’s best swim.

“She was just out of placing for team points,” Sorenson said. “Lauren [Breunig] had a valuable learning experience.”

Breunig also competed in two other events: the 200 individual medley and the 100 freestyle. She placed 41st in the 100 freestyle on Sunday with a time of 50.47 and placed 47th in the 200 individual medley on Friday in a time of 2:03.32.

Sorenson said the meet was beneficial for Breunig.

“This meet gave her a lot of confidence that she could compete at the top level of her sport,” Sorenson said.

Freshman Haley Haynes qualified for the finals in two events and nearly qualified for the NCAA Championships, as well.

Haynes competed in the Zone 5 Diving Qualifications from March 10 to 12 in Columbia, Mo., and placed 11th in both the one-meter springboard and the platform in her first time competing at the meet.

Haynes earned 467.70 points in the one-meter competition and 376.40 in the platform competition. She also competed in the three-meter springboard but did not qualify for the finals.

The Cyclone swimming and diving team finished a successful season with a 5-4 record, several strong finishes in their invitational meets and the appearance of Haynes and Breunig in regional and national competitions.