Iowa and Iowa State butted heads in Iowa City, Iowa, for the annual swimming and diving match as a part of the Cy-Hawk Series.

Despite falling this year 162-138 to the Hawkeyes, the 24-point loss was the closest meet for the Cyclones since their victory in 2009.

There were a few impressive highlights to point out in the tight contest.

Big Upset

The Cyclones jumped out to an early lead after impressive performances from the 200-medley relay squad, Haley Ruegemer in the 1,000 free and Anna Andersen in the 200 freestyle.

The Hawkeyes relied on extraordinary junior, Hannah Burvill, to get the momentum back in the 100 backstroke.

Burvill, who placed last year in the 100 freestyle (31st) and 200 freestyle (37th) at the NCAA Championships, was expected to claim an easy victory over the Cyclone freshman Emily Haan.

Haan defied all expectations by winning the race with a time of 54.73 to Burvill’s 55.57.

The freshman Haan had been quietly setting freshman records in her short time here so far at Iowa State, but she was missing that one standout performance.

With her victory, it not only showed what the young Haan is capable of, but also proved to the Hawkeyes that they were going to have to battle to achieve a victory.

Iowa State Diving personal records not enough

Heading into the first diving break, the Cyclones held a surprising 70-61 lead.

However, Iowa took the lead over behind a mind-blowing performance in the diving well.  

Overall, the Cyclones did well compared to their recent performances. Dana Liva and Sydney Ronald qualified for the NCAA Zones with scores of 281.40 and 266.65 in the one-meter, respectively. Also, Alex Aaberg and Jessica Coffin both earned personal records.

In the three-meter, Liva (295.80) and Aaberg (226.45) set personal records, and Ronald posted a solid score as well (285.05).

However, Iowa had the top three scorers in both events, which proved to be pivotal in the overall scoring.  

Jayah Matthews, Sama Tamborski, and Jacinth Thomas accumulated 32 points in comparison to Iowa State’s six in the diving events.

That 26-point differential was a massive swing considering that the Cyclones lost by 24.

The Cyclones Exceed Prediction

Coming into this year’s Cy-Hawk matchup, the Hawkeyes were heavily favored coming off eight straight victories over the Cyclones.  

That belief was further confirmed by CollegeSimulator, which predicted that the Hawkeyes would win 175 to 125.

Although the Hawkeyes 24-point victory may seem make the meet seem like a blowout, Iowa State contended.

After the Cyclones got out to their stunning early lead and followed that up with a few impressive races, the Hawkeyes were starting to press.

Had it not been for the Hawkeyes divers showing in the pool and a few victories down the stretch, it is possible that there could be a different result.

Nonetheless, this battle should only fuel the teams going into next year’s clash.