The Iowa State women’s swimming and diving team showed signs of a program on the rise last Friday and Saturday during competition at the Big Twelve Relays and Invitational in Lincoln, Neb.

ISU scored a total of 22 points in placing last out of the six Big Twelve teams competing at the relays. Nebraska, ranked 11th in the country, claimed first place with a score of 72.

The score for each team was kept track of during the relays on Friday, but no score was tallied for Saturday’s invitational.

Although the Cyclones were unable to move out of the cellar, they did manage to top last season’s point total of 15 and make up significant ground on the conference’s lower division.

“We placed where we should be right now, but we were close to Missouri [26 points] and closed the gap between us significantly,” Duane Sorenson, head coach of the Cyclones, said. “All our relays were competitive. We were racing the other teams, which we weren’t doing last year.”

ISU was led by Kim Reid, who won the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:04.75 and joined Michelle Sexton and Marie Tremblay on the 300 yard breaststroke relay team that placed second.

Reid said she was pleased with her performance and enjoyed the meet.

“I was really happy with my times, especially my split in the 300 relay,” she said. “It was a fun meet, and it was easy to get excited.”

Freshmen swimmers Erika Vohnout and Amber McDowell put together strong efforts for the Cyclones as well. McDowell finished third in the open 200 yard butterfly, and Sorenson said Vohnout “did an outstanding job” in swimming the 500 yard freestyle, 400 yard individual medley and open 200 yard butterfly.

McDowell said she felt the butterflies associated with competing in her first NCAA Division I swimming events.

“At first I was a little nervous, but as it went on I became more comfortable,” she said.

ISU added a fourth place finish in the 400 yard medley relay with a team that consisted of Reid, McDowell, Kerry Kusz and Jodell Fesenmair.

The diving squad also had a strong showing. The Cyclones were paced by Erin Cowan, Brooke Stahl and Aleisha Kraft.

Cowan was the top performer for ISU, finishing 12th on the three meter dive with a score of 222.20 and 14th in the one meter competition totaling 206.30 points. Kraft and Stahl also placed in the top 20 for both events.

Cowan said it was a good start to the season and that going up against top-notch opponents was a good experience.

“I think everyone did well. Our conference is tough, and although the standings might not show it, I think everyone did well,” Cowan said. “I think every meet is learning experience, especially the first one of the year.”

Jeff Warrick, ISU head diving coach, said he thought his team did a good job focusing on what they learned in practice. He said he was pleased with how the Cyclones maintained an intense focus while still taking time to enjoy the meet.

“I like how they were having fun. I think when you have fun you do better,” he said.

The Cyclones are now preparing for their upcoming meets this Friday at Southwest Missouri State and Saturday at Missouri.

Sorenson said the Missouri meet will be a big step toward measuring the Cyclones’ progress.

“We [ISU and Missouri] are going to match up our top athletes and go out and see what happens. There’s no secret with what we have and they have, it’s just a matter of racing,” he said. “I think we have a chance to win this year and we’re certainly going in with the idea that we can race them.”