By Carter Melrose
Hawkeye Emma Sougstad stepped on to her starting block for her first event of the weekend, the 200 individual medley. The date was Feb. 18, 2016, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the second day of last year’s Big Ten women’s swimming and diving championships.
As the pressure started to build, she looked down at her ankle and glimpsed the cross tattoo that had given her strength the entire season. It is still the reason she swims — her faith.“I gave up a lot of ice cream for this, I cried in my goggles some practices because they were so hard to prepare for this,” Sougstad remembered thinking before she entered the pool.
Sougstad knew one truth loomed in the back of her head.
“Olympian Lilly King is in all three of my events.”
When the race was over, Sougstad swam a career and program best 1:57.62. She finished third in the preliminaries and moving on to the finals.
“I lit it up,” Sougstad said.
Sougstad, however, fell short of King in the final by less than a second.
Meanwhile, Calli Head was still patiently waiting for her spotlight. The 10-meter platform was her main event, and it happened to be the last event of the championships as well.
“I felt like I got in the zone more than I ever have before,” Head said.
When it was finally time, she could only think about the thousands of hours she had put into this moment.
“I felt very confident going into it,” Head said.
Head finished the day with a career-best 312.20 on platform, which still holds today.
However, for both Sougstad and Head, their stories didn’t start there.
Sougstad was recently reminded from her parents about her first swim meet.
“As the story goes, I jumped into the pool, I didn’t dive into the pool, I jumped in and quickly swam back to the closest wall.” Sougstad said.
Head also started her career at an early age.
“I can’t remember a time without [diving],” she said. “I started when I was 7.”
Fast-forward now to this season, and the Big Ten women’s swimming and diving championships that get started Thursday and last through the weekend. It’s the last time Sougstad and Head, both seniors, will compete in the Big Ten meet for the Hawkeyes.
“I’m just incredibly proud to dive for the University of Iowa,” Head said.
For Sougstad, she said she owes everything to God and her family.
“I have the best family hands down,” she said. “I’m sure everyone says that but I truly believe it.”
Sougstad will again race against Olympic medalist Lilly King in all three of her events.
“[King] was a huge motivator for me this year,” Sougstad said. “But if I don’t reach her, well hey, she is a gold medalist.”
Head will dive the 10-meter platform again in this year’s Big Ten Championships as well.
“When they announce you, it’s just a really proud feeling representing the university,” Head said.