Dickinson Takes One-Meter Bronze, Cyclones Remain In Third

Dickinson Takes One-Meter Bronze, Cyclones Remain In Third

02.23.2017 | Swimming and Diving

AUSTIN, Texas – The Iowa State swimming and diving team remains in third place after day two-of-four at the 2017 Big 12 Championship at the Texas Swimming Center. The Cyclones have amassed 206 team points through seven events and sit less than three points out of the No. 2 spot.

Thursday night's action opened with the 500 freestyle, featuring four Cyclones in scoring heats. Mary Kate Luddy and Jessi Storer were neck-and-neck all of the way in the 'B' Heat, in which Luddy took third and Storer fourth.

In the 'A' Heat, Keely Soellner followed up her then-No. 3 time in Cyclone history from prelims by dropping over two seconds to post a 4:48.09 for the No. 2 time in the Iowa State record book. Haley Ruegemer followed closely behind with the second-best time of her career, 4:55.33.

As with the 500 freestyle, four Cyclones scored in the 200 IM. Kasey Roberts led the way with an 11^th-place finish of 2:03.02. Emma Ruehle (14^th, 2:05.47), Silqi Luo (15^th, 2:05.74) and Danica Delaquis (16^th, 2:07.64) rounded out the event for Iowa State.

As she has made a habit of doing, Laura Miksch led the Cyclones in the 50 freestyle, grabbing Second-Team All-Big 12 recognition with a fifth-place finish and time of 22.78 seconds. The time ranks second in her career only to her prelims time and is tied for the third-best swim in Cyclone history.

Savanna Townsend also medaled in the event with an eighth-place finish and personal record of 23.25 seconds in the final 50 freestyle of her Cyclone career. Maddie Rastall – also competing in the final 50-yard sprint of her career – posted a personal record time of 23.32 seconds to take 13^th. Harper Emswiler's personal-best 23.41 claimed 14^th and rounded out the Cyclone contingent in the event.

Julie Dickinson earned the highest finish by a Cyclone thus far at the meet, earning bronze on the one-meter board. Dickinson's six dives added up to 300.55 points to help her grab the first First-Team All-Big 12 recognition of her career.

The night ended with the 400 medley relay, in which the quartet of Roberts, Delaquis, Luddy and Townsend combined for a time of 3:42.96. The group's time is sixth-fastest in team history and also placed it sixth among the fastest Cyclone 400 medley relay teams.

The Cyclones return to the Texas Swimming Center tomorrow morning for a 10 a.m. prelims session, which will be followed by women's three-meter prelims at noon. Diving finals are scheduled for 5 p.m. and swimming finals will begin at 6 p.m.

Day three's competition will include three-meter diving, the 100 butterfly, 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle relay.

Prelims Highlights

*Iowa State dropped 28.50 seconds from 10 personal records and 39.11 seconds from 15 season-bests in the prelims session.

*Haley Ruegemer opened day two by blowing away the competition in the 500 freestyle by more than a length of the pool, posting a 4:50.97 for the third-best time in school history. She held that standing for about 20 minutes until Keely Soellner bumped her into fourth with a time of 4:50.12.

*Ruegemer on setting the tone for the Cyclones early on: "Honestly I didn't even realize how fast I was going and I thought it was a mistake when I touched the wall, like 'Oh, I didn't touch the clock,' or something … I just went up there and tried my hardest. "Back in Black" came on and that was the song I wanted to make this meet be about because we have our black caps again, so that was kind of a pump up song and one that everyone knew I get jacked for. From the start the atmosphere was just like, 'OK, let's go out there and kill it, give it all you've got and have a fun attitude about it.'"

*Four Cyclones set new personal records in the 50 freestyle, including Evan Hundley, Savanna Townsend, Laura Miksch and Harper Emswiler.

*Miksch's 50 freestyle time of 22.71 was the second-fastest in Iowa State history and was just .04 seconds off the school record. She cut .44 seconds off her personal best.

*All four Cyclone divers that competed scored for Iowa State. Becky Stochl just missed finals with a ninth-place finish, Alex Aaberg took tenth with career-high score in her Cyclone debut and Katherine Mueller finished 16^th.

*Seventeen Cyclone swimmers qualified for finals, including 12 in scoring heats.