Not many athletes have family members competing in college athletics, let alone at the same university. Sisters Jamie and Nicky Wieben share this rare experience.

Jamie has been injured for parts of her junior and senior seasons, but she has been a key contributor for the swimming team in the backstroke and freestyle events while at Iowa State.

Nicky has started 18 of 22 games as a freshman for the women’s basketball team, averaging 8.5 points per game.

Women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly said her family has helped her be a great addition to the team.

“Nicky’s been a great addition to our program and shown some signs of doing great things,” Fennelly said. “She’s come from a special family . she’s a great kid, and she has done a great job for us.”

Swimming coach Duane Sorensen said Jamie has been a great teammate despite her being sidelined for most of the last two seasons.

“Unfortunately Jamie hasn’t been able to contribute like she wanted to and with the way she did her sophomore and freshman year,” Sorensen said.

“She has been a very loyal teammate and is very supportive of everyone on the team, though.”

Nicky said it is nice having a family member at Iowa State competing in athletics.

“It is really nice knowing Jamie is up here,” she said. “It makes everything more exciting.”

Both sisters are competitive, however Jamie said when competed against each other while growing up, she was more likely to win.

“When we raced in swimming against each other, when I was a senior and she was a freshman, I beat her,” Jamie said.

“In the end, she beat me time-wise, but I beat her a lot more that year.”

Nicky said having a sister to compete against pushed her to be better.

“She beat me a lot when she was a senior [in high school] and that pushed me . and I broke some of her records my senior year,” Nicky said. “I don’t know who would win now.”

If each of them had to compete in her sister’s respective sport, Nicky believes she would do the best.

“I think I proved last year that I can be a better swimmer than she can be a basketball player,” Nicky said.

Jamie echoed that sentiment.

“She was a [high school] state champion in swimming in two events last year,” Jamie said, “and I can’t even dribble a basketball.”

When it comes to competing, Jamie said she is more laid back than her sister.

“I tend to go with the flow a little bit more,” Jamie said.

Nicky, on the other hand, said she is much more competitive.

“I am a little bit more stubborn about losing, I guess,” Nicky said.

Being at Iowa State together has made the college experience feel like being at home for the sisters.

“It is not that much different than when she was at home,” Jamie said. “It is a lot of fun to see her play in college.”