Cyclones face Hawkeyes in annual swim, dive meet
Miranda Cantrell/Iowa State Dail
Sophomore Elyse Brouillette springs forth from the three-meter springboard during the Senior Day conference against the Kansas Jayhawks at Beyer Hall on Saturday, Feb. 8. Brouillette took first place in the diving well, outscoring second-place rival Alysa Golden by 40.87 points. The Cyclone took the victory over the Jayhawks 163.5-136.5.
December 10, 2015
ISU swimming and diving will meet the Hawkeyes for the 36th time in school history Friday at Beyer Hall.
Swimming and diving may not attract as many fans as basketball or football, but that doesn’t mean the rivalry is less intense.
“Two years ago, it was [Iowa dive coach Todd Waikel’s] first time experiencing the Iowa-ISU meet, and he didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” said ISU head swim coach Duane Sorenson. “During the competition, one of the Iowa divers threw an outstanding dive, and he turned to [ISU dive coach Jeff Warrick] and said, ‘I get it now.’”
Although the competition is usually on friendly terms, it is not uncommon to see athletes give their absolute best in the competition.
“It doesn’t make any difference if you’re a top kid or a mid-range kid, everyone just competes at such a higher level,” Sorenson said.
The CyHawk athletic events are always big. A trophy was established in 2004, and points are given to each school after each win in different sports. The last time the Cyclones won the CyHawk swim and dive meet was in the 2009-2010 season.
Two years ago, the Cyclones set team and pool records. In her freshman year, now-junior Karyl Clarete set the top time in school history in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650-yard freestyle races. On the diving boards, then-sophomore Elyse Brouillette got the second-best diving score on the 3-meter board with six dives.
Brouillette was also named the Big 12 Diver of the Week for the first time this season. She took home five, top-4 finishes in six events during two recent diving invitationals.
“We swam outstandingly at the meet. They were just that much better than us that day,” Sorenson said of the 112-point loss last year to Iowa. “Even though it was over 100 points, the races were much closer than what it really looked like.”
But that doesn’t mean the Cyclones are expecting that again this year. Sorenson thinks the home-pool advantage could help in close races.
“We think it is going to be one of the best dual meets in school history this year,” Sorenson said.
The meet will kick off at 6 p.m. Friday in Beyer Hall.
