Despite a swimmingly strong performance, the Iowa State women’s swim team wound up on the short end of the board against the Iowa Hawkeyes, losing the meet 146-94 on Saturday afternoon.

The underdog Cyclones were led by a first-place finish by A-Lisa Miles in the 200 individual medley. She snagged second place in the 200 breaststroke and fourth in the 200 butterfly.

ISU Coach Duane Sorenson said he was happy with several season-best times and efforts.

“They rose to the challenge,” he said. “Every time we are competing, we are improving. We’re heading in the right direction.”

Even though the team lost, Miles said ISU accomplished its goals of having fun and making the Hawkeyes earn every point.

“Everyone swam well,” she said.

Miles said she was pleased with not only her individual win, but the squad’s performance overall.

“I knew they had some good IM’ers and that I would have to push it if I wanted to win,” Miles added.

Facing a tough team such as Iowa helps the ISU squad “get a taste” of what the Big 12 competition will be like, Miles said.

She said her team’s strong showing is a good way to end the first semester of competition and that the team now knows where it stands and what to improve upon over break.

The swimmers took second and third in the first two events. Erin Cowan led the divers, recording the top score in the one-meter competition and taking third place in the three-meter event.

Iowa was a formidable opponent for the divers, and Cowan said beating Iowa’s top two divers, including a friend of hers from high school, was rewarding.

She said her performance was not the only impressive one by the team.

“Our team dove well as a whole,” Cowan said. Thea Hoeg nabbed second place in the one-meter and Aleisha Kraft took fourth place honors in the same event.

Cowan also complimented the swims by her teammates, who forced Iowa to shake up its line-up in order to control the meet. “I think we impressed them because we swam so well,” she said.