For Petra Plaminkova, most aspects of life in the United States are different.

Except for the swimming.

“Everything’s different,” Plaminkova said with a chuckle.

The sophomore, who hails from the Czech Republic, leads an ISU swimming and diving team that head coach Duane Sorenson calls “the best team in Iowa State history.”

Plaminkova and the rest of the Cyclones will compete in the Big 12 Championships this week in College Station, Texas.

Sorenson said his team has a good chance to place as high as second at the meet, with Texas being the clear favorite.

If they do so, it would be the best finish ever for Iowa State in the Big 12, eclipsing last year’s fifth-place finish.

“We’d be ecstatic with that,” Sorenson said.

The fifth-year coach pointed out that the competition is very evenly matched and he expects the meet to come down to the final event.

Only seven-tenths of a second separate the best times of four schools in the 400 freestyle relay.

“Missouri, Kansas, Texas A&M and our team are going to be duking it out for second, third, fourth and fifth,” Sorensen said. “We could swim outstanding and get second, and we could swim and dive outstanding and get fifth.”

During the regular season, Iowa State defeated Kansas and lost a narrow decision to Missouri.

The loss was one of Iowa State’s two losses in dual meets.

Some Cyclones are also hoping to qualify for the NCAA meet in March as well.

Plaminkova leads the pack and will be seeded first in the 200 breaststroke for the meet. She missed qualifying for last year’s NCAA and admitted that she was very nervous.

Plaminkova said that she’ll be extra motivated this week to qualify in the event.

“I’m really close now, so hopefully I will finish and end up there,” she said. “We’re going to fight until the end.”

Sorenson said Susanne Notbohm and Amber McDowell also have high hopes of qualifying for the NCAAs.

Notbohm placed second in the 200 individual medley at last year’s Big 12 meet, and McDowell is a two-time finalist in the 200 butterfly.

Rena Kelinson and Melissa Jensen made the finals in their events last year and should have good performances, Sorenson said.

It could possibly be the last meet for McDowell and six other ISU seniors.

Sorenson and the fourth-year swimmers have traveled a special journey together. The seniors started their career at Iowa State under Sorenson’s direction.

“They’ve lived a dream, going through the process of building a program,” Sorenson said. “[The seniors] came from being a joke to being very good.”