Swim team heads down to Texas to compete for the Big 12 Championship

Then-sophomore+Kennedy+Tranel+swims+the+200-yard+butterfly+Jan.+18%2C+2019%2C%C2%A0at+Beyer+Pool.+The+Iowa+State+womens+swimming+and+diving+team+beat+Illinois+University+191-100.%C2%A0

Then-sophomore Kennedy Tranel swims the 200-yard butterfly Jan. 18, 2019, at Beyer Pool. The Iowa State women’s swimming and diving team beat Illinois University 191-100. 

Chanler Twedt

The last time the Iowa State swim and dive team played was a loss against Big 12-rival Kansas, where the Jayhawks beat it 178-114 for its only loss of the regular season and only conference loss.

It’s now the swim team’s chance to redeem itself in its final regular-season dual and it’ll head back in the pool at Austin, Texas, to complete for the Big 12 Championships.

All the swimming events will start on Wednesday and end Saturday, while the divers will have to wait for their events on March 1-3.

Last year in the Big 12 Championships, the swim team finished in fourth place with 459 points, with nine Cyclone swimmers and divers earning All-Big 12 first or second team.

The swimmers for the Cyclones are having a good season, with many swimmers like Sophomore Sophia Goushchina and senior Martha Haas leading them.

A couple freshman have been excellent in the middle distance and distance events. They’ve claimed six victories for the Cyclones in the following circumstances, the 200, 500, and 1000 free.

Brinley Horras has claimed four titles, while Sydney Jackson and Bengtson have also contributed to the swim team’s wins column. 

The Cyclones’ Seniors swimmers Lehr Thorson, Martha Haas, and Bryn Ericksen have produced in the breaststroke event. Lehr Thorson swept against Northern Iowa while the Iowa State breaststrokers went on to post a season total of 75 points. 

Lucia Rizzo has been dominated in the butterfly event as to Wyli Erlechman, posting top times this season and grabbing those titles for the Cyclones’. Rizzo has been the team leading scorer as she has accumulated 52 points throughout the season, adding her career total to 405 points.  

Junior Michelle Schlossmacher Smith went undefeated on the three meters dive this season to lead the diving portion of the team.