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Iowa State University Athletics
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Swimming & Diving Coaches Announce Award Winners, 2017-18 Captains
04.09.2017 | Swimming and Diving
AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State swimming and diving team's coaching staff announced its 2016-17 team award winners at the team's end-of-the-year banquet Sunday at the Sukup Endzone Club. Ten awards were given to members of this year's team and captains for the 2017-18 season were announced.
Most Valuable Swimmer: Laura Miksch
Miksch emerged as not only the fastest freestyle sprinter on the team this season, but also as one of the fastest in Cyclone history. She won 5-of-8 50 freestyle races on the season, with victories coming by an average margin of .256 seconds. Additionally, Miksch took first in the 50 freestyle at the Kansas Classic by .21 seconds.
Miksch swam three of the top-five 50 freestyle times in school history at the 2017 Big 12 Championship meet, including a school-record 22.66 split to lead-off a school record-breaking 200 freestyle relay. The Columbus, Nebraska, native also moved up to No. 3 in Cyclone history in the 100 freestyle with a time of 50.13. Her time of 50.17 in the 100 freestyle race earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors via a third-place finish, the highest in team history in the event.
Most Valuable Diver: Julie Dickinson
Dickinson won 11-of-16 events on the season and swept the diving board in five meets, including all three of Iowa State's Big 12 dual meets. The team captain racked up the No. 5, No. 8 and No. 9 one-meter scores in team history during a season-ending six-event win streak to help earn Big 12 Diver of the Week honors.
The Cyclones' leader on all three diving apparatuses, Dickinson earned All-Big 12 distinction in each event at the 2017 Big 12 Championship, including first-team honors on platform and the one-meter board. Her second-place finish on the platform at the Big 12 Championship marked the highest finish of her career.
Most Improved Swimmer: Haley Ruegemer
Ruegemer notched personal records in seven events this year ranked as one of Iowa State's top-two swimmers in five events. She was especially strong for the Cyclones at the Big 12 Championship, where Ruegemer posted two of the top-three 400 IM times and the then-No. 3 500 freestyle time in team history. Ruegemer medaled in the 400 IM, 500 freestyle and 1650 freestyle, including a fifth-place finish in the 400 IM to earn Second-Team All-Big 12 honors.
Most Improved Diver: Becky Stochl
Stochl ranked second on the team on the one-meter board and platform in her senior season, while setting new career-best marks on three-meter and platform. The Wildwood, Illinois, native reached the medal stand on the three-meter board and platform at the Big 12 Championship meet and rounded out her career with a second-straight trip to Zones, earning a top-30 finish in three-meter competition.
Melissa Fender Award: Maddie Rastall
All year long the senior exuded the spirit of the award given to a student-athlete exceptionally proud to be a Cyclone and member of the swimming and diving team. While Rastall ranked among the team's top-three swimmers in both sprint races and anchored a school record 200 freestyle relay, the Marinette, Wisconsin, native was also one of the Cyclones' most vocal supporters from the pool deck, making her contributions out of the water valuable as well.
Cyclone Relay Swimmer: Savanna Townsend
Townsend capped an outstanding career in the Cardinal and Gold as one of the top relay swimmers in Cyclone history. Townsend split 50.52 to anchor this year's best 400 medley relay time and swam the second leg of school record-breaking 200 and 400 free relays at the 2017 Big 12 Championship.
Townsend ended her career having swam on top-10 relay squads in team history three times in the 400 medley relay, four times in the 200 freestyle relay and five times in the 400 freestyle relay. The Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, native has broken school relay records on five occasions.
Kerry O'Brien Award: Danica Delaquis
The Kerry O'Brien Award recognizes a student-athlete that demonstrates the personal commitment necessary to improve toward a national championship level. Delaquis took a major step forward in the 2016-17 season, leading the Cyclones in both breaststroke races and ranking among the top-five 200 IM swimmers on the team. Delaquis earned her first-career NCAA B Cut with a time of 2:15.55 in the 200 breaststroke at Iowa, the same event in which she picked up a fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Championship for the highest placing of her career.
Newcomer of the Year: Keely Soellner
Soellner recorded an outstanding rookie campaign for the Cyclones, twice tackling the school record in the 1000 freestyle and once setting a new mark in the 1650 freestyle. Soellner also ranks among the top-three swimmers in team history in the 200 and 500 freestyle races.
Soellner tallied 11 individual event wins and five second-place finishes this season. On two different occasions, Soellner strung together a four-event win streak between her individual and relay races. At the 2017 Big 12 Championship, Soellner medaled in all three events she competed in, earning Second-Team All-Big 12 honors in the 500 freestyle and First-Team recognition in the mile.
Cyclone Strength and Conditioning Awards: Evan Hundley and Julie Dickinson
Hundley and Dickinson were recognized for the dedication they showed throughout the year in the weight room and dry land conditioning to achieve the strength and endurance to compete at a championship level. It is Hundley's first time winning the award among the swimmers and Dickinson's third-straight year earning the honor among the team's divers.
2017-18 Team Captains: Danica Delaquis, Laura Miksch and Sydney Ronald
Delaquis and Miksch were voted by their teammates to serve as captains for the swimmers in their senior seasons, while the divers elected Ronald to be a captain for her redshirt-junior year. It will be the first season as a team captain for each member of the trio.
Players Mentioned
Breast/IM
/ Swimming and Diving
Diving
/ Swimming and Diving
Middle Distance Free/Back
/ Swimming and Diving
Sprint/Breast
/ Swimming and Diving
Sprint Free/Back
/ Swimming and Diving
Diving
/ Swimming and DivingDistance Free/IM
/ Swimming and Diving
Middle Distance Free
/ Swimming and Diving
Diving
/ Swimming and Diving
Sprint Free/Fly
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