The ISU women’s swimming and diving team travels to Columbia, Mo. on Saturday afternoon for a dual meet against Big 12 foe Missouri.

The Tigers are Iowa State’s first conference opponent this season.

Although the Cyclones have lost their last five dual meets against the Tigers, they were victorious against Missouri in the 2004 conference championships.

Swimming coach Duane Sorenson said that he has worries about going into Columbia.

“Missouri has a tremendous dual meet team, and they are always prepared to swim against us,” he said. “They have three outstanding swimmers in every event.”

Diving coach Jeff Warrick said the Cyclones can’t just breeze through the meet.

“They have a good group of divers that have varying levels of experience,” Warrick said.

Sorenson said his team should use the same attitude as it did in their tournament victory over Missouri.

“Our team knows that we can beat them since we did at the conference meet last year,” he said, “We just have to step up and race in every event. Everybody’s got to come through and do their job.”

Warrick said it will be the Tigers’ last meet in their usual pool, the MU Natatorium, but that’s OK because the Cyclones haven’t liked competing there in the past, he said.

“Our divers don’t really like their pool,” he said. “Their ceiling is much lower, and the pool isn’t as deep as ours.”

Sorenson said that he doesn’t believe the Tigers will be any more fired up just because it will be their last meet in the Natatorium.

After the meet against the Cyclones, Missouri is moving its swimming and diving activities to an Olympic-sized facility housed in their Student Recreation Center.

“They’re going to be excited just to swim us like they are every year,” he said.

The meet also marks the first time since the Minnesota Invitational in November that all three of Warrick’s active divers, seniors Gail Olson and Katie Herman and junior Hillary Nichols, have competed in the same meet.

Each diver has experienced injuries since then.

Though each member in the trio continues to battle at least one injury, Warrick said that their injuries are minor.

For the swimmers, juniors Jamie Wieben and Michelle Collins will not be competing. Wieben is still recovering from a back injury, and Collins is fighting nerve problems in her arm.