With the season starting to wind down and the Big 12 championships right around the corner, the ISU swimming and diving team is preparing for an in-state matchup against Northern Iowa this weekend.

After a dual-meet weekend with one loss against Illinois and a win against Washington-St. Louis, the team is eager to swim against UNI. 

Coach Duane Sorenson has a good relationship with the coaches at UNI. The Panthers have improved over the past couple of years with their recruitment and training.

“It’s always fun to swim the Panthers, they have a good program,” Sorenson said. “UNI is getting a lot better every year, their depth is getting better”. 

It is known that in-state match-ups tend to be intense. Last season, Iowa State earned a win over the Panthers with a score of 197-99.

With the team on a training cycle helping them prepare for the Big 12 Championships, the swimmers are focusing on being mentally prepared for this weekend’s matchup.

“Where we are at in our season, the swimmers won’t feel just 100%, so they have to fight through and race no matter what their bodies are saying,” Sorenson said.

Senior Kaylee Kucera is excited about the meet this weekend and has been working on her turns, hoping to swim the butterfly for the upcoming match.

“I think going into UNI we may think that we have the advantage, which we do, but I think we need to go in there and have the same energy and race well,” Kucera said.

The Cyclones are working on getting each other motivated and helping each other prepare for their swims as they travel to Cedar Falls. 

“I think it will be a good meet for us,” Kucera said. “I know some people might be able to swim events they are swimming at the Big 12.”

Sophomore Casey Roberts has also won her second CollegeSwimming.com Big 12 Swimmer of the Week this week after this last weekend where she came in first in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, and second in the 200 individual medley against Illinois.

The next day against Washington-St. Louis, Roberts finished second in the 200 freestyle and first place again in the 200 breaststroke.

The Iowa State Swimming and Diving team will face the UNI Panthers on Saturday Jan. 23, starting at 12 p.m. The meet will take place at the Glen F. Henry Swimming and Diving pool.