Swimming and Diving 2017-18 Season Preview

Swimming and Diving 2017-18 Season Preview

10.05.2017 | Swimming and Diving

AMES, Iowa – The Cardinal and Gold meet on Oct. 13 will mark the start of the 48^th season in Iowa State swimming and diving history.

The 2017-18 season will feature six senior swimmers, seven former All-Big 12 honorees, and 10 newcomers. Head coach Duane Sorenson begins his 21^st year at the helm, and his 10^th season with the Sorenson, Warrick and Nordell trio.

Freestyle

The sprint freestyle portion of Iowa State swimming returns a former All-Big 12 honoree, Laura Miksch. Stepping in for the Cyclones is a wealth of talent including Anna Andersen, a transfer from North Dakota. Andersen owns WAC championships in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

"We have Laura Miksch returning as a school record holder in the 50 free. She also is an All-Conference swimmer in the 100 free, and was part of two record setting relays," Sorenson said. "Harper Emwiler was on the 200 free relay that set the school record. She's not going to swim a lot of sprint free races in dual meets, as she is one of our top backstrokers, but she'll be outstanding," Sorenson commented. "Evan Hundley, a junior, has big expectations as we are ready for her to step up. We are looking forward to have Anna Andersen join our team as a transfer. She comes in with outstanding times, so we'll add tremendous depth, and she could be one of our top 100 freestylers when it's all said and done."

Middle Distance

Senior Silqi Luo, an All-Big 12 swimmer in the 200 freestyle, returns for the Cyclones. Keely Soellner will also play a factor, holding Iowa State's top 200 and 500 freestyle times from the 2016-17 season. Kat Jones and Polina Shynkarenko will also look to make an impact in their upcoming sophomore seasons. Newcomer Kennedy Tranel will look to make a splash for the Cyclones, coming in as a high school All-American and a three-time All-Stater.

"Looking at that, we have a variety of different swimmers," Sorenson said. "Keely Soellner could be one of our top mid-distance swimmers, but we will need her more in the distance events in the dual meets. When in the dual meets, we will have people like Silqi Luo, who is coming off a back injury. She is looking really good right now," commented Sorenson. "Emma Ruehle is also a good backstroker, but we may need her in the mid distance freestyle. Mary Kate Luddy could do outstanding in this race for us, so we have a strong returning group, with many people we can throw into that event. Newcomer Kennedy Tranel comes to us with an incredible background, having swam the 200 and 500 before. She's a very strong swimmer, and we think there's a bright future for her in those events."

Distance

In distance, the Cyclones are returning three of their top-15 performers in the 1650 freestyle event and four of the top-12 in the 500 freestyle. Keely Soellner, Haley Ruegemer, Jessi Storer, and Mary Kate Luddy all look to improve on an impressive year in 2016-17, which included all four swimmers placing in the top-14 of the 500 yard freestyle at the 2017 Big 12 Championships. Sorenson commented on the impressive list of returners in the distance events.

"We've got a tremendous distance free group. Keely Soellner is the school record holder in the 1000 and 1650. She lit it up last year, so we're looking for her to take off from where she ended last season. Haley Ruegemer was a top-eight finisher at the Big 12 Championships for two years in a row in the mile," noted Sorenson. "We think she has a great chance to finish in the top-eight for all of her events this year. Jessi Storer is returning to form after battling a back injury most of the year last year. She could also be in the top-eight in the mile at the championship meet."

Backstroke

In the backstroke, a number of returners come back to Iowa State, which includes a pair of seniors Harper Emswiler and Kasey Roberts. Others such as Shynkarenko, Basel and Ruehle will look to lead the Cyclones in their first full season. Veterans will swim alongside a few newcomers to round out the backstroke event.

"We have a good group of backstrokers in the 100 back. Harper Emswiler can swim that event. Kasey Roberts, if we need her in the 100 back, we could throw her in that event," Sorenson said. "Newcomer Anna Andersen has a great 100 back from her days at North Dakota, even without ever training in the backstroke. The 200 back is a different beast for us; that will be an event that we rely on Emma Ruehle, as she became our top backstroker last year. We are going to put Harper in that event also. Kasey Roberts could really help us out in that event if we need her to."

"Coming in, none of our incoming freshmen are known as 200 backstrokers, but a freshman in the 100 back is Wyli Erlechman. She has tremendous dolphin kicking ability, and that race is becoming more and more done underwater, so if we can get her in shape to stay underwater for as long as she can in the four lengths, she could be pretty darn good," Sorenson noted.

Breaststroke

In the breaststroke, seniors Kasey Roberts and Danica Delaquis return after both receiving All-Big 12 honors in the 100 and 200 breaststroke in the last two years. Newcomers Bryn Ericksen, Lehr Thorson and Martha Haas were all successful in the breaststroke at the high school level.

"This is one of the stronger events for our team. We have Kasey Roberts, a school record holder in the 200 breaststroke. Danica Delaquis has been a finalist in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Laura Miksch finished ninth at the Big 12 meet, so we feel good about that," states Sorenson. "Then we add Martha Haas, who comes in with tremendous credentials swimming the 100 breaststroke. We think that just a little bit more training in the breaststroke only, rather than freestyle as well, could really develop her 100 and 200 breaststroke. There are a couple of diamonds in the rough with Lehr Thorson and Bryn Ericksen. They have tremendous potential, but we may not see that until the end of this year, or the end of next year."

Butterfly

Luddy is the lone member of Iowa State to be named All-Big 12 in the butterfly, doing so back in 2015. Emswiler, Storer and Pankratz are all slated to swim in the butterfly events. The Cyclones will bring in Resch, Erlechman and Ames-native Grace Snyder.

"We really have a solid group of swimmers. This is another event that there is a great distinction between the 100 and 200. In the 100, Harper is returning along with Mary Kate Luddy, who is a very good 100 flier. We have three great fliers coming in. Rachel Resch in transferring from Bowling Green. She has a tremendous amount of experience swimming at college," Sorenson said.

"Then you have Grace Snyder and Wyli Erlechman. Both have potential in the 100 and 200 fly, so we are going to train Grace in the 200, and that will be a long process to build up her stamina, but I see potential there. In the 200 fly, Kami Pankratz came out of nowhere last year, becoming our second-best 200 flier. We also have school record holder Mary Kate Luddy coming back and we are looking for big things out of her all season long."

Individual Medley

Haley Ruegemer will look to improve on her fifth place Big 12 Championships finish in the 400 IM. Again, the Cyclones will have a number of returners, including Luddy, Pankratz, Basel, Delaquis and Roberts, among the newcomers, Haas and Snyder.

"Returning is Kasey Roberts, the school record holder, and we'll see how she comes off of her shoulder surgery if she's able to swim that event throughout the year," Sorenson said. "She is only six months off her surgery, and sometimes it takes nine to ten to fully recover from that to swim in the IM. Then we have couple of outstanding 400 IMers in Haley Ruegemer and Mary Kate Luddy. Both have been flirting with the school record in the 400 IM, and Kami Pankratz is a tremendous 400 IMer as well. We have a couple people we can throw into the IM, Danica Delaquis and Ali Basel, especially the 200 IM with their speed and talent in all four strokes. We are thinking about having Martha Haas join us, as she was one of the top IMers in Minnesota at the high school level. Grace Snyder has tremendous potential in that race, too."

Diving

Sydney Ronald and Maggie James both look to return to NCAA Zones this year, both having done so previously. Alex Aaberg and Katherine Mueller also return to Cyclone diving, and incoming transfer Dana Liva will round out the group of five Cyclone divers.

"I am excited to start our competitive season with a great group of divers. Sydney Ronald has great character, is highly respected by the team and is ready to have a break-out season after being sidelined with injuries the past couple of years," Iowa State diving coach Jeff Warrick commented on the 2017-18 season. "I am thrilled that Wisconsin transfer Dana Liva is now a Cyclone. Dana is a solid performer on both springboards and platform and will be an immediate impact player for the team. Katherine Mueller surprised us all last season by making finals on platform at the Big 12 Championships. She was named second team All-Conference for her fifth-place finish. With a full season of experience now as a Cyclone, I really look forward to seeing how she can build on the foundation she set last season."

The other two divers, Alex Aaberg and Maggie James, battled injuries last season. Warrick noted that they are working diligently with the athletic training staff to get back to full participation.

The Cardinal and Gold meet kicks off at 7 p.m. in Beyer Hall on Oct. 13. The Cyclones will see their first competitive action on Oct. 21, traveling to Nebraska. Iowa State will return home for a meet with Omaha on Oct. 27. Admission to all three meets is free.