The Cyclones increased their lead in the annual Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk series on Dec. 11 in Ames, defeating the Iowa women’s swimming and diving team, 167-133, in both squads’ final meet of the 2009 calendar year.

Iowa will embark for Orlando, Fla., for a winter training trip from Jan. 3-10, 2010, and will return to the pool for a home competition on Jan. 16 with a dual meet against Illinois.

The loss dropped the AquaHawks to 4-3 overall this season; the Cyclones improved to 7-1.

Iowa State now holds a 12-7 lead over the Hawkeyes in the 2009-10 installment of the in-state trophy series.

The AquaHawks only mustered six victories in the 16 events, and Iowa State had a record-setting performance in its home pool.

The Cyclones got off to a hot start, taking first in three of the initial four events. Iowa State opened the meet by setting a pool record in the 200 medley relay.

Three events later, another pool record fell when Iowa State senior Nan Liu broke her own mark in the 100 backstroke.

Liu, who also swam on the pool-record-setting 200-medley relay team, earned another first-place finish in the meet in the 200 backstroke.

Cyclone senior Abby Glaser added another two firsts for Iowa State.

“Iowa State raced extremely well,” Iowa head swimming coach Marc Long said. “Our seniors really stepped up to the challenge, but we just weren’t quite good enough.”

Iowa kept the score close throughout the meet. Two AquaHawks picked up numerous first-places.

Junior Verity Hicks took first in the 200- and 500-freestyle events, and fellow junior Katarina Tour picked up wins in the 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley.

Seniors Laura Mozdzen and Christine Kuczek took first in the 200 butterfly and 100 freestyle, respectively, while Tour, Kuczek, Katie Michelau, Julie deBruin, Julie Feingold, Danielle Carty, and Daniela Cubelic all garnered second-finishes for Iowa.

“Iowa State always comes in really prepared and ready to race in its home pool,” Kuczek said. “We started off a little shaky with the medley relay, but we just kept chugging along and had some really fast wins. Don’t get me wrong, we had a great meet. They just had a better meet.”

In diving, Iowa State senior Tien Tran won both the 1- and 3-meter dives, posting a 301.34 in 1-meter diving — the second-best score in school history.

AquaHawk junior diver Veronica Rydze competed for the first time this season, taking second-place in the 3-meter and third in the 1-meter.

Senior diver Brittany Logan and freshman Mary Sue LeMay each added a fifth- and sixth-place finish for the Iowa divers.

The home pool advantage was an important aspect of the matchup, Kuczek said.

“It’s definitely a unique atmosphere,” she said. “They had a lot more fans in the stands than we did. They had their game faces on and were ready to beat us from the start.”