Iowa State Takes on Big 12 Championships

Wednesday, February 26

Morgantown, W. Va.

10 AM

Iowa State

Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships

Iowa State Takes on Big 12 Championships

02.25.2020 | Swimming and Diving

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AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State swimming and diving team (5-5, 0-2 Big 12) travels to Morgantown, W. Va. to compete at the Big 12 Championships. Competition will happen Feb. 26-29 at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park. The NCAA Last Chance meet will take place March 1.

THE EVENT- Big 12 Championships

The Big 12 Championships will be the second time this season the Cyclones have competed at West Virginia's new aquatic center. Heading into the event, 11 Cyclones have set new personal records, seven have been added to the all-time top performers list and six new all-time top times have been recorded on the season.

Senior Anna Andersen leads sprint freestyle events, with the top times in the 100 and 200 free. Freshman Sophia Goushchina follows Andersen, while at No. 2 overall on the freshman records list in the 100 free.

Keely Soellner and Nolwenn Nunes have been crucial to middle distance and distance events. Nunes has grabbed nine of these event wins and sits upon the all-time top performers and freshman records list in the 500, 1000 and 1650 free. Soellner's school record from her freshman year and No. 1 spot on the freshman records in the 1000 and 1650 free list still stand today.

Lucia Rizzo tops the season performers list in both butterfly events. En route to becoming the top scoring Cyclone, Rizzo has improved her times upon the 100 and 200 fly top performers list while adding an all-time top time in the 200 fly.

The trio of Emily Haan, Elizabeth Richardson and Goushchina have led backstroke events. Richardson climbed to the top of the freshman records list at the Kansas Classic in the 200 back with her time of 1:59.56.

The breaststroke group includes four all-time top performers; Lehr Thorson, Martha Haas, Bryn Ericksen and Jennifer Roessler. Thorson and Haas both have improved their times upon the lists, while Roessler added her name.

Three Iowa State divers have posted Zone cuts 28 different times. Jayna Misra, Dana Liva and Michelle Schlossmacher Smith are all Iowa State top performers. Schlossmacher Smith has continually improved, breaking her one-meter personal record three times and her three-meter five times all this season.

Last year, Iowa State concluded last year's championship in fifth place with 443 points. The 400 free relay school record broke for the third consecutive year, while six Cyclones gained All-Big 12 honors.

LAST TIME- Kansas

Swimmers and divers broke five personal records against Kansas. Emma Ruehle and Kami Pankratz both broke PRs they set the previous meet against North Texas and UNI. Ruehle has cut .66 seconds off her 50 free time and Pankratz cut 2.12 seconds off her 500 free time this season. Also improving from the North Texas and UNI meet was Nunes, who cut off 8.02 seconds off her 1000 free time.

In diving, Misra set a new one-meter PR and Misra, Jessica Coffin and Schlossmacher Smith secured PRs on the platform. Misra, Schlossmacher Smith and Liva notched six Zone cuts on the one and three-meter.

Finals will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN +. Follow the team on Twitter (@CycloneSD) or on Facebook at facebook.com/cyclonesd for in-game updates, post-meet recaps and results throughout the season.