The Iowa women’s swimming and diving team started off the new year by getting a Big Ten victory over Illinois on Jan. 13. The Hawkeyes couldn’t complete the sweep, however, losing to host Notre Dame.

At the Rolfs Aquatics Center, the women came out of the pool with three individual victories – two in swimming and one in diving. Senior Emma Sougstad was responsible for two of those victories, one coming in the 100-meter breast (1:02.09) and the other in the 200-meter individual medley (2:03.46). She now has 11 individual wins this season.

The other victory came from freshman Thelma Strandberg, who placed first in the 1-meter springboard. She finished with career best score of 291.45.

Junior Meghan Lavelle also did well in the pool, finishing in the top-three in three events. In the 200-medley relay she helped Sougstad, fellow junior Mekenna Scheitlin, and freshman Hannah Burvill finish second. In the 200 backstroke, Lavelle was a runner up with a time of 2:01.24 and came in third in the 100 back with a time of 55.58.

The Hawkeyes will be back in the pool on Jan. 21, when they will host Northwestern for the Hawkeyes’ Senior Day.

— Nicholas Moreano