Swimming and Diving 2017-18 Season In Review

Swimming and Diving 2017-18 Season In Review

03.29.2018 | Swimming and Diving

2017-18 Results

The 2017-18 Iowa State swimming and diving season featured four duals wins, six school records and a fourth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. The final result may not have been exactly what head coach Duane Sorenson and the Cyclones were aiming for, but through strong senior leadership, both sophomores and juniors ready to step up, and freshmen breaststrokers that proved they could swim on a big stage, the Cyclones' 2017-18 season projects well into 2018-19.

Senior Leadership

Throughout the season, this year's senior class of Danica Delaquis, Harper Emswiler, Mary Kate Luddy, Silqi Luo, Laura Miksch and Kasey Roberts led the way in their final year. They were the top Cyclone swimmers in 12 individual events. This group of seniors also stamped their names in the Iowa State record books this season. Miksch broke a school record in the 50 free, while Luddy now holds a pair, the 200 fly and 400 IM. Their performance on relays was also a key component of the season, as 15 of 20 spots on the top relay squads included a senior.

At the biggest meet of the season, this group of Cyclone seniors stepped up, scoring 175 of 512.5 points at the Big 12 Championships. It will be no small task to replace those points, but Sorenson remains proud of the accomplishments of this class and hopeful for next year's squad.

"They really wanted to go out with a bang," head coach Duane Sorenson said. "One of our goals is to have our women peak during their senior season. This class was exceptional. They have had tremendous success in our dual and championship-level meets. They showed that when you put your mind to something and you put the work into it, you can have great accomplishments. They had a goal and a vision of what they wanted their last year to be, and they all came through."

"You can look at as we lost so much, or what a great opportunity we have for people to step up and fill those roles."

A Look To The Future

While this year's senior class has swam their final races, the Cyclones look to the sophomore and junior classes to take the reins. Soon-to-be senior Haley Ruegemer aims to improve upon her impressive junior campaign that featured the second-fastest 400 IM time in school history. Ruegemer was Iowa State's top mile swimmer this season, while also finishing among the top-two in the 400 IM and 500 freestyle.

Evan Hundley is another member of next season's senior class. Hundley is the fastest 50 freestyler returning next season, and she will continue to bolster the Cyclones' backstroke team. Another swimmer to watch for next season is Anna Andersen, a transfer from the now-defunct North Dakota swim program. She has proven to be a nice addition to the Cyclone roster, swimming as a top-five swimmer in the 50 and 100 free, and contributing on Iowa State's top relays this season.

"We saw Haley Ruegemer, she was faster than [the old 400 IM record], push Mary Kate to that record," Sorenson noted. "We'd like to see her step up. Evan Hundley had a breakthrough season this year, and I think with just a little bit more refinement, she really can come around. Anna Andersen swam well in her first year, but I think there is still more to get out of her."

Looking ahead, some injuries and illness plagued a few Iowa State swimmers throughout the year, but Sorenson is hopeful that those Cyclones will be back next season as major contributors.

"Talking about Emma Ruehle, we think we're going to change her up in some events. Instead of more backstroke, we are going to do middle distance freestyle. We are hoping to see Keely Soellner swim back to where she was her freshman year. She was fighting through illness this season. Rachel Resch did a really nice job, and I think another year with our strength-training program that she will get a lot faster. Another encouraging sign is Kat Jones in the 1650. She had a tremendous time drop and I think that might be a breakthrough swim for her. Unfortunately, Jessi Storer fought injuries and had a number of setbacks, so we're hoping she'll be back at the level she wants to be."

Freshman Ready to Continue Breaststroke Tradition

Martha Haas came in to Iowa State ready to compete for the top Cyclone spot in the 100 breaststroke. She led the way up until the Kansas Classic, and then put her name back on top of the leaderboard following the Cy-Hawk dual meet. She would end the year as the second-fastest Cyclone in the 100 breast after Delaquis bested her time at the Big 12 Championships.

In a much different fashion, Lehr Thorson also showed her potential in the breaststroke events. Her times consistently improved during the season, going from a 1:08.85 against Nebraska to a 1:04.68 against Iowa, while finally marking her personal best of 1:03.86 at the Big 12 Championships. Her biggest accomplishment was finishing as the Cyclones' second-fastest 200 breaststroker. In the Iowa meet, she posted a 2:24.34 and sat in fourth place on the Iowa State 2017-18 top-five list. By the Big 12 Championships, her time dropped to 2:18.31, which placed her second on the season for the Cyclones. Additionally, her performance notched sixth-place in the conference, good for a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team.

With a season of experience behind them, Haas, Thorson and Bryn Ericksen will have the responsibility of leading the way for Iowa State's breaststrokers in the 2018-19 season.

"Martha Haas being a Big 12 finalist in the 100 breaststroke was really good," Sorenson said. "We're looking to improve her 200 breast to get at the same level in that event. Lehr Thorson had a breakthrough year as a finalist in the 200 breast. It was an amazing swim, and she is such a fierce competitor, so we'll see where she goes with that. A couple of younger swimmers in that class, if they keep working on it, they can be a big help to our team next year."

"It's fun, because they have kept the tradition going in breaststroke for Iowa State. It's kind of a pride thing. I haven't had to say a whole lot, but that group always wants to get better and keep the tradition going. They pass it on to each other."

In The Diving Well

Dana Liva, a transfer from Wisconsin, had a breakout season for the Cyclones and is now the top platform diver in Cyclone history. A pair of divers, Liva and Sydney Ronald, qualified for the 2018 Zone D Diving Championships. Liva was the only one to qualify for finals during Zones, finishing 17^th overall on the platform. At the Big 12 Championships, Liva finished the year earning First Team All-Big 12 honors after finishing third in the platform event. She would also earn Second Team All-Big 12 by finishing seventh on the one-meter board. Ronald finished sixth on both the three-meter board and platform at the Big 12 Championships, earning her two All-Big 12 Second Team accolades.

For 2019, Iowa State returns a strong diving core from the 2017-18 season. Liva will look to continue her dominance in platform, as well as continue to develop her springboard technique, in pursuit of NCAA qualification in 2019. Ronald led the way on the three-meter springboard, and is looking to continue to progress for her redshirt senior season. Also returning for Iowa State will be Alex Aaberg, along with recruit Nikki Benedict as an incoming freshman.

"Our Big 12 competition stands out to me," diving coach Jeff Warrick said. "Both Sydney and Dana did really well, each making two finals. I was really happy with Sydney's three-meter performance, and for Dana, getting third place on platform and setting a school record was huge for the team."

"Once we get to work, our focus is next season. The competition between divers has to keep going, to keep pushing each other," Warrick noted. "On all the good teams, they have this competition. It's helpful competition; they push each other. When one is having a hard day, bringing them back up is important. I think that will continue into next season and it will be fun to have Nikki on the boards with us. I think she'll fit into that mix very well."

Season Wrap Up

The annual banquet will official end the 2017-18 season. The announcement of this season's awards will take place at next month's event, in addition to the release of the 2018-19 captains.