The swimming and diving season is underway, and the Hawkeyes are preparing for a tough triangular this weekend.

Iowa will host a meet against Denver and Michigan on Friday and Saturday at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center.

The Iowa men’s team is going to have to rely on some key swimmers to help it not only win this weekend but to thrive the rest of the season against tough competition.

The men have 22 returning letter winners and seven newcomers. Among the letter winners are four NCAA qualifiers and the All-American 200-free relay team: Jack Smith, Joe Myhre, Matt Kamin, and Will Scott.

The four are some of the upperclassmen that Iowa is going to rely on to help secure points this season.

All four have a spot in the 50-free school record times. Smith qualified for the NCAA Championships last season in three events: 100 free, 200 free relay, and 400 relay.

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Last season, Smith also swam a career-best and school record in the 100 free (42.71) at the Big Ten Championships, far from the time of 45.22 he swam at Minnesota last weekend.

He is also second best in the all-time records at Iowa in the 50 free (19.61). The fastest time Smith has swim in the 50 free this year was at Minnesota at 20.51. It is early in the season, but Iowa will feel the effect if Smith does not get back to his potential, especially in the 200-free relay.

Scott and Myhre were also part of the 400-free relay team, which made it to NCAAs last year. Myhre swam a personal best in the 50 free (19.84) last year at the Big Ten Championships. He has kept the momentum going this year, finishing with a 19.99 in the 50 free at Minnesota.

Scott swam a personal best last season in the 100 free (43.72) at the Big Ten Championships. He is going to have to pick it up this season, as his best time so far is the 45.65 he swam at Michigan State last month.

The final key from the 200-free relay team is Kamin. He swam his personal best last season in both the 50 free (20.53) and 100 free (45.95). He has yet to race in the 50 free this year, but he swam the 100 free (46.60) at Minnesota. He still has room for improvement and needs to step up in his final year at the college level.

If each reaches his potential in his individual events, then the relay team will have no problem coming together for the Hawkeyes.

One last swimmer that Iowa will rely on now and in the future is freshman Mateusz Arndt.

Arndt is from Poland. In high school, he went to the Euro Junior Swimming Championships to win gold in the 800-free relay and a bronze in the 200 free in 2016.  He won the 500 free (4:28.73) last weekend in Minnesota, so he is living up to the potential so far.

The Iowa men have many great swimmers this year. They just need to work together to reach their potential as a team looking to climb the rankings.