Iowa State will open its competitive swim and dive season at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in Beyer Hall with a matchup against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. 

The Cyclones have historically dominated the Jackrabbits in the pool, holding a 13-0 record in the all-time series. Last year, in their visit to Ames, they were put down 202-96 in a matchup that saw Iowa State claiming wins in 15 of the 16 events. 

The Jackrabbits will also open their 2024 season Thursday. They are coming off a 3-5 record last season, in a campaign that ended with a fifth-place finish in the Summit League Championships. This season is expected to be a step up from last year, with the pre-season polls for the Summit League projecting them to finish third in the league this time around. 

Following an intrasquad scrimmage on Friday, Iowa State is tuned up for another competitive season. Senior Carley Caughron and junior Corinne Guist were standouts in the freestyle sprint events, with both swimmers combining to place first in every individual freestyle event in the scrimmage. They will be the ones to watch for Thursday. 

For SDSU, sophomore Poppy Mead is slated to be a strong contender in the 200m butterfly. She posted a ninth-place finish in the Summit League Championships for the Jackrabbits and was one of the team’s highlight performers in that event. 

Mead will match up with freshman Lili Neisser and senior Fallon DeWitt from Iowa State. The two finished a close first and second respectively during the cardinal and gold scrimmage Friday. The event should be a barnburner when they all clash. 

Iowa State will enter the meet with expectations that they should put on a dominant performance against the Jackrabbits. Season openers always have an air of excitement around them, and this one feels that way especially, as it will be Matt Leach’s first test as head coach of the Cyclones.