The ISU women’s swimming and diving team finished the regular season in a thrilling way – on senior day no less.

The Cyclones downed the visiting Kansas Jayhawks by the count of 153 to 147 Saturday and upped their overall record to 5-2. But the win wasn’t clinched until the final event of the day, the 400-freestyle relay.

Senior Becca Meyer who swam the second leg of the winning 400-freestyle relay said it couldn’t have turned out any better.

“Before our race, all four of us got together. We just tried to keep each other pumped and kept telling each other that we could do it,” she said. “It is just great to see a team like this grow. It was stressful a few years back when we were always behind, but we just kept racing and racing and racing, and it feels like our hard work has paid off.”

The excitement that filled Beyer Pool was strongly felt among the entire team.

“KU is one of our biggest rivals. It was a major team goal for us to beat them,” Kimble said. “For it to be the last dual meet and for it to go down to the last relay is just awesome. This win just gives us a lot more confidence.”

Senior Amber McDowell credited the entire team for the win.

“Everyone stepped up, freshmen through seniors. This was a total team win,” she said.

Head coach Duane Sorenson had said earlier in the week it would a very close meet. He turned out to be right.

“That was one of the closest meets we have ever had. The score and all the races were close,” he said. “There were even close finishes for second, third, fourth and fifth. We pulled it out, because we wanted it more.”

Senior day marked the last regular season meet as well as last home meet for seven seniors, Nicki Eilers, Erin Endres, Jodel Fessenmaier, Alison Kimble, McDowell, Becca Meyer and Cally Voorhees.

Kimble said a good part of Iowa State’s success comes not only from hard work but also from good team unity.

“I have felt closer to this team than any other team before. Just by setting goals and having everyone on the same page allowed us to improve as a team,” she said.

Sorenson said all the seniors will be missed.

“These seniors are an outstanding class of leaders, friends and they just have a lot of heart and soul,” he said.

Not to be overshadowed by the senior day festivities were the performances of sophomores Petra Plaminkova and Linda Wagner.

Plaminkova won three individual events and broke her previous school record in the 200 breaststroke.

Her time of 2 minutes 16.55 seconds bested the previous record, held by Plaminkova, of 2:17.23.

She also recorded her personal best in the 100 breaststroke and won the 200 individual medley.

Diver Linda Wagner who is already headed to the NCAA zone meet in Fayettville, Ark., March 15-16 for the 1-meter springboard also qualified for the 3-meter springboard.

The team has some time to rest until it departs for Texas A&M Feb. 20-23 for the Big 12 Championships.

“Texas is heavily favored. I look for us to place anywhere from second to fifth,” Sorenson said.

Meyer went a step further.

“Our team goal is to finish second and we are going to do everything we can to do that,” she said.