Revenge in the cold waters of Greensboro, North Carolina, is the next stop for the Iowa State swimming and diving team, after suffering a loss in its last dual meet against Kansas on Feb. 6. Head coach Matt Leach will look to lead the Cyclones into a resignation of sorts.
The championships will last a total of five days, running from Tuesday to Saturday. Events will vary, with a different setup than traditional dual meets, since this will involve a plethora of teams, as well as a couple of events for men’s swimming and diving programs.
The last time the Cyclones competed at a Big 12 event was just over a month ago in Houston, Texas, where Iowa State showed some glimpses of a very cohesive group, placing fifth out of nine competing Big 12 Conference opponents.
This time around, it will be a similar lineup of teams competing to prove that they are the best in the Big 12 Conference. Some will be top teams like Arizona State and Kansas.
Although Iowa State has a losing record of four wins and five losses this season, it has had some really good performances that could bring some strong individual attention to its team on a big stage.
The Cyclones hope to continue to lean on the strong performances in the breaststroke events. These are led by sophomore standout Grace Swoboda. This is a great area for Iowa State to make a name for itself on the conference level stage.
Other contributors in shorter races like the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle events will be tested for the Cyclones. Iowa State will look to compete in these areas, needing swimmers like freshman Kendall Mallers and junior Emma Kuhn to bring their best to Greensboro. They will compete with top talent like Arizona State, which has been very good in the short-distance events.
Iowa State will also look to make a dent in the distance events. The Cyclones have relied heavily on senior Corinne Guist and freshman Carlotta Gazzola to place high in the long swims.
This will primarily be the 500 and 1,650-yard freestyle events. The Arizona State Sun Devils and the Kansas Jayhawks will be tough matchups to compete against in the distance events.
The Cyclones have been doing well in diving events as of late, placing new personal records and competing with a top diver in the Big 12. Last time out against Kansas, Iowa State put up a very respectable performance against one of the best diving teams in the Big 12, highlighted by decorated junior Shiyun Lai.
The Cyclones will look to carry momentum to the clash with other talented divers from around the country, as they will look to senior Kate Mitchell. She just eclipsed a personal record from her last three-meter diving performance, ending with a score of 321.08.
Iowa State will also look to other senior Ally Blumenfeld, as well as underclassmen sophomore Abby Tollefson and freshman Jade Hazes, to match the performances of other divers from the Big 12.
