The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Swimming has fun in intrasquad

The+CRWC+holds+a+scrimmage+between+the+black+and+gold+team+of+the+Iowa+swim+team.+The+gold+team+and+black+team+battle+it+out+during+the+relay+on+Oct.+9%2C+2015.+%28Daily+Iowan%2FGlenn+Sonnie+Wooden%29
The CRWC holds a scrimmage between the black and gold team of the Iowa swim team. The gold team and black team battle it out during the relay on Oct. 9, 2015. (Daily Iowan/Glenn Sonnie Wooden)

The Black team beats the Gold squad, 94-79.

By Blake Dowson and Jake Mosbach
[email protected] and [email protected]

The Iowa men and women’s swimming and diving teams competed in the annual intrasquad meet on Oct. 9 in the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center. The Black squad came out on top of the Gold squad, 94-79, winning 10 events.

“It was a lot of fun,” head coach Marc Long said after the meet. “You could tell we’ve got a hungry bunch. We want people to love to compete, and even in a fun situation like this, they were gunning for it.”

On the men’s side, sophomore Chris Dawson earned 5 points and a victory for the Black squad in the 500 freestyle, touching the wall in 4:37.71.

Senior David Ernstsson gave Team Black another victory in the 200 freestyle, winning in thrilling fashion over Black squad teammate, sophomore Thomas Rathbun, in 1:42.09.

In what was possibly the most impressive performance of the night, freshman diver Will Brenner won the 50 diver freestyle in an impressive 20.87.

“That was fun to see,” Long said. “You’ve got probably the fastest diver in the country in the pool there.”

Team Black closed out the night with a win in the 200-freestyle relay in a time of 1:22.48. The team consisted of junior Brandon Farnum, Ernstsson, senior Jackson Allen, and Brenner.

Freshman Jack Smith was another bright spot on the night for the Gold squad, winning two events.

Smith started out his night winning the 50 freestyle in a time of 20.79.

“It was good to win,” he said. “But that’s not my main focus right now. It’s getting used to the shorter yards. The walls are about a meter and a half shorter here.”

Smith followed up his 50 performance with another win in the 100 freestyle, touching in a time of 45.34.

Other winners for the Gold squad included senior Matt Boyd in the 100 individual medley, sophomore Jerzy Twarowski in the 100-yard butterfly, freshman Kenneth Mende in the 100-yard backstroke, senior Michael Nelson in the 100-yard backstroke, and the 200-medley relay team of Mende, Nelson, Twarowski, and junior Jackson Halsmer.

It was also a competitive night for the Hawkeye women. The Black team got on the board first with the 200-medley relay group of junior Emma Sougstad, sophomore Carly O’Brien, and seniors Allie Orvis and Olivia Kabacinski. They touched in 1:43.50.

Sougstad also won the 100 individual medley in 59.18, and Kabacinski was victorious in the 100 freestyle at 51.01.

In the 200 freestyle, sophomore Nikol Lagodzinska got the win with a time of 1:53.39. Junior Taylor Flummerfelt got the Gold team on the board ith a win in the 50 freestyle in 24.27.

Orvis grabbed another win with the 100 indivdual medley in 59.18, and freshman Jacintha Thomas captured the 50 diver freestyle victory in 26.79 for the Gold squad.

Other winners for the Hawkeye women were Kelly McNamara in the 100 butterfly (55.93) and Meghan Lavelle in the 100 back (57.51).

But competition wasn’t the main objective for the evening. Long believes the meet was important for promoting team chemistry as well as shaking off some nervous energy before Big Ten competition starts.

And one freshman said it worked.

“It was great to go against my teammates outside of practice,” freshman freestyle/breast competitor Katie Wells said. “It seemed to really bring the team together. It was so much fun.”

Wells said the meet, while pitting teammates against each other, proved just how close they are.

“It’s really important to have a night like tonight,” she said. “It proved that we’re still one team and one unit. We’re all in this together.”

The men and women’s swimming and diving teams will return to action on Thursday night at home when they take on Michigan State. The women will also compete against Northern Iowa.

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