By Nicholas Moreano
It’s that time of the year for Iowa students. Finals are just around the corner, winter break begins at the end of finals week, and, of course, it’s rivalry week for the Hawkeyes and the Cyclones as the two schools will face off in numerous sports in the annual Corn Cy-Hawk Series.
One of the Iowa teams competing at 6 p.m. Friday in the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center is the women’s swimming and diving squad.
It doesn’t matter what the sport is, the intensity and significance of the rivalry between the two schools remains the same.
For senior Emma Sougstad, this will be her last chance to compete against the Cyclones, and she looks forward to the challenge.
“This is a very fun, exciting, competitive, very competitive meet,” Sougstad said. “I’m just excited to put on that Hawkeye cap and represent them against the Cyclones one last time.”
Sougstad said she is also excited about teammate freshman Hannah Burvill, who has had an amazing season so far. For Burvill, who is from Pyrford, Great Britain, and isn’t the Iowa native that Sougstad is, this will be her first time to compete against the in-state rival.
“I’m really looking forward to getting into the water, suiting up and racing again,” she said.
Burvill said she wasn’t happy with her performance during the Ohio State Invitational a little more than two weeks ago, and she will use Friday’s meet to step up her performance to show people what she can do.
Both Sougstad and Burvill said the team had some really good practices this week, and head coach Marc Long agreed.
“It’s been a great week; we’ve got some really good preparation in,” Long said. “Coming into this meet, I feel from a physical swimming standpoint they are in a really good place training-wise.”
Even though the team has had a good week of practice, he said, the team should expect the unexpected on Friday. The crowd is going to be involved, the Cyclones are going to bring their best performance of the season, and the Hawkeyes need to be ready.
Long, an Iowa native, knows the intensity associated with the rivalry, and with that intensity he is looking forward to seeing which of Hawkeyes step up to the challenge.
“You get to see if people step up, and we are going to need every point,” Long said.
Bragging rights for the state are on the line, and with finals week approaching, a loss would be one more thing to think about during a stressful part of the year. Instead, the Hawkeyes will try to protect their home pool, looking for victory and an early Christmas gift.
For Sougstad and Burvill, the time to put on their best performance is now, whether it’s the last time competing in this historic rivalry or the first time — the only thing that matters is who will be the first one to touch that wall.
