Kim Schmugge swam the best time she has ever had in the 100-meter backstroke at the Big 12 Championships last weekend, but she’s convinced she can cut some time.

“I swam well, but I just know I’m capable of going faster,” said Schmugge about her 13th-place 57.59. The junior will make up half of the ISU contingent at the Gopher Invite at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center in Minneapolis on Sunday. Sam Dyshaw, who is being considered for the NCAA Championships in three events, will also make the trip.

Both are from Minnesota originally — Schmugge is Marshall and Dyshaw is a native of Montevideo.

Dyshaw — and Schmugge if she swims well enough to be considered — will learn on March 7 whether they have advanced to the NCAA Championships.

Schmugge, who swam five events last weekend, will stick solely to the 100 backstroke and Dyshaw will try to improve on her 23.01 in the 50-meter freestyle. She shattered the old ISU record by nearly four-tenths of a second at the Big 12 meet, as she took third place.

ISU head coach Duane Sorenson said he is optimistic about Dyshaw’s time qualifying for the NCAA meet.

But Dyshaw isn’t quite satisfied with her record-breaking time. She hopes to set a new ISU record Sunday.

“The blocks at Minnesota are some of my favorite. I really like those,” Dyshaw said. “I’d just like to do it faster and I think that I can.”

Schmugge said nearly the same thing.

“I’d just like to go faster than I did at the Big 12 meet,” Schmugge said. “Hopefully 56-something or faster.”

Schmugge said she has benefited from a tactic swim teams often use toward the season. She and her teammates have tapered off their practices starting two weeks prior to the Big 12 meet.

“I’m a sprinter, so I tend to swim really well when I’m rested — much faster than I do the rest of the season,” Schmugge said.