The Hawkeye women’s swimmers compete in possibly the toughest conference in the country.
By Jake Mosbach
As the Hawkeye women’s swimming and diving team maneuvers through its schedule, it’ll be doing so in perhaps the toughest conference in the country.
This year, the Big Ten features some of the strongest teams in America, with the conference having seven of the top-25 spots in CollegeSwim.com’s rankings. Michigan leads the way at No. 2 in the nation.
The Hawks’ opponents on Friday, Purdue, is No. 16.
Head coach Marc Long said the strength of the Big Ten could be attributed to one main factor: depth.
“The conference is just so deep,” Long said. “Half the teams are ranked in the top 25. It’s well-funded, it’s well-supported, and it’s got great coaches and athletes. It’s a great league to be in, but it’s extremely competitive.”
At last year’s Big Ten meet, Iowa took eighth among the 12 teams, compiling 199 points.
Minnesota took home the title, its fourth straight, with 760 points.
Long said the key to stronger showings in Big Ten duals and the Big Ten meet this season would require more than just solid individual performances.
Not only does the conference itself show off its extreme depth, but the teams do as well.
“Team depth really rules,” Long said. “We can take first in an event, but [our opponent] will get second, third, and fourth. We’ve seen that in certain events this year.”
Sophomore Tereysa Lehnertz said that competing in such a tough conference has its benefits and drawbacks.
Lehnertz knows a thing or two about tough competition. This summer, she represented Puerto Rico in the Pan American Games in Toronto.
“In the Big Ten, we get to see some of the top swimmers anywhere,” Lehnertz said. “It’s neat to watch them race and learn from them, but it’s also nerve-racking.”
She said that ultimately, racing in the Big Ten means that you’re near the top of your craft.
“Just to realize that you’ve made it to that level, racing against the best, it’s exciting,” she said.
That’s coming from a sophomore who has been through the Big Ten gauntlet once in her college career. To someone such as freshman Kelly McNamara, the increased level of competition is even more impressive.
McNamara, who competes in the fly events for the Hawkeyes, has earned high praise from her coaches.
In the Hawks’ last meet, against Minnesota, McNamara completed the 100 fly in 54.88, fifth-best time in school history. Nevertheless, she said, that the Big Ten competition has been unlike anything she’s ever faced.
“It’s so fast,” she said. “It’s faster than anything I’ve ever been a part of. It’s shown me that I still have a lot to work on, all the small things that make a difference.”
As for the depth that Long searches for, he said that it’s a work in progress.
“We’re still working really hard, trying to find that depth,” he said. “We’re getting better.”
Follow @RealJakeMosbach on Twitter for Iowa women’s swimming and diving news, updates, and analysis.
