2022-23 Swimming and Diving Season Preview

10.11.2022 | Swimming and Diving

AMES, Iowa – The 2022-23 swimming and diving team kicks off its 53rd season this Friday, at 4 p.m. in Nebraska. Head Coach Duane Sorenson begins his 26th year leading the team, Assistant Head Coach Kelly Nordell undertakes her 15th season, while Head Diving Coach Jeff Warrick enters his 25th season.

Six All-Big 12 honorees return after tallying a total of 18 All-Big 12 honors last season. Five newcomers and 23 returners make up the roster, with seniors Sophia Goushchina, Paige Hanley, Emily Heymans, Trinity (Gilbert) Kay, Jayna Misra, Elizabeth Richardson, Lucia Rizzo, Madison Rundell, Keely Tierney, Maddie Ziegert. Hanley, Tierney and Jocelyn Buss will serve as team captain in 2022-23.

SPRINT FREESTYLE

The sprint free group returns sophomore Carley Caughron who posted the third-fastest 50 free time (23.32) in history by an Iowa State freshman last year. Another returner and senior Sophia Goushchina will return following a season posting all-time top performances and leading the team in the 100 free (50.82).

"We've got a lot of returners with lots of experience," Head Coach Duane Sorenson said.

Returner Maddie Ziegert was the fifth fastest on the team in the 100 free (51.78) last year. Andie Quirke, a junior, will swim the 100 freestyle after finishing top five nine times throughout the sprint free. Ashley Bengtson swims 200 and 500 freestyle events while grabbing individual victories eight times throughout the 100, 200, and 500 free last year.

MIDDLE DISTANCE AND DISTANCE

Juniors Brinley Horras, Sydney Jackson, and Ashley Bengtson return from a prominent season after their success at the Big 12 Championships. In long distance, Keely Tierney and Madison Rundell thrive in the longer distance where they swim 1000 free in dual meets and 1650 in invitational/championship meets.

"Brinley is at the top list of performances as she can swim 200, 500, and 1000 free, so we're excited to see what she can do this year," Sorenson said. "We also have freshman Corinne Guist who is someone I'm really looking forward to in seeing what she can do in these events."

Corinne Guist made all-state in 200 free, 500 free, and was a state champion in 200 free relay in high school in Illinois.

BREASTSTROKE

Three of Iowa State's swimmers keep the tradition of powerful breaststrokers alive after last season's top 20 all-time times throughout the 100 and 200 breast. Alaina Breitbach and Paige Hanley return after setting personal records in the 100 breaststroke.

Alaina Breitbach moved up to become the ninth-fastest Iowa State top performer all time in both the 100 and 200 breast while earning All-Big 12 Second Team honors in the 200 breast. Paige Hanley posted a 100 breast PR of 1:02.25 to now rank as the eighth-fastest performer in Iowa State history.

"Newcomer, Gabrielle LePine has times that would be top-four or top-five in the conference that she did last year in high school, so we're excited for what she can do with our program and keep our good breaststroke traditions going," Sorenson said.

BUTTERFLY

Senior Trinity (Gilbert) Kay returns as the fastest 100 flyer as she improved an all-time rank to No. 6 last season. Fifth-year senior Lucia Rizzo is a dominant returner, set a 100 fly PR of 55.28 against Iowa to now rank as the 11th-fastest performer in program history.

Redshirt sophomore Winter Craig took victory in the 200 fly five times, including a win at the Kansas Classic last season and became the fourth-fastest 200 fly performer in school history.

"Carley Caughron did excellent in the 100 fly last season and we're excited to see her in those dual meets," Sorenson said.

Caughron has a personal record of 56.11 in the 100 fly at the Kansas Classic. Mallory Miller returns from last season as she picked up five top-three placements through duals in 200 fly.

BACKSTROKE

All-Big 12 honoree Elizabeth Richardson and senior will return as a prominent backstroker. Sophomore Fallon DeWitt is another keyholder as she earned a swim in 'A' finals at the Big 12 Championships in the 200 back last season.

"Elizabeth Richardson and our freshman Madi Dohrn are both really good at doing the 100 and 200 backstroke. It's great that we have a variety of great backstrokers that we can put in each event," Sorenson said.

Seniors Sophia Goushchina, Maddie Ziegert, and Trinity Kay excel in any backstroke event as the group has ranked positions in the Big 12 Championships.

"Trinity Kay is one of those people who we can put in a lot of different events, and she'll be successful in it," Sorenson said.

INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

Lucia Rizzo swims in various events from the 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle to the 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 and 400 individual medley. Last season she won nine events throughout the 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 free, 200 IM and 400 IM while also finishing second in the 400 IM and fifth in the 200 IM at the Kansas Classic finals.

"We will use her in our dual meets where we need her to score the most points and same with Trinity," Sorenson said.

DIVING

Three returners and two newcomers make up the strong diving squad. Senior Jayna Misra returns after earning her first career All-Big 12 honor with an eighth-place finish of 195.35 on platform at the Big 12 Championships. Junior Joscelyn Buss put up the ninth-best platform performance by a Cyclone at the Big 12 Championships last season as she won consolation finals with a score of 227.30.

"Jayna Misra and Joscelyn Buss both had a really good summer practice and I'm looking forward to seeing how that's going to affect the beginning of the season," Head Diving Coach Jeff Warrick said. "This is another year of experience under their belt and I'm thinking it's going to shine through a little bit this year than ever."

Sophomore Lauren Kimball had a great season last year as she dove to a 1-meter PR of 281.95 against TCU, 3-meter PR of 284.70 against Kansas and a platform PR of 212.25 at the Big 12 Championships.

Freshmen Ally Blumenfeld and Kate Mitchell will look to make their mark as newcomers. Blumenfeld was a NSCA All-American and AAU National finalist in 2021. Mitchell owns her high school's 11-dive 1-meter school record 479.25 and 6-dive 1-meter school record 297.25.

"From top to bottom, we have one of the stronger groups with all five of them that we've had in a long time," Warrick said.

Regular season action opens Friday against Nebraska in Lincoln.