Hawkeyes swim toward NCAA qualification
Iowa will continue to attempt to post NCAA qualifying times as the season continues.
Iowa swimmer Hannah Burvill rests after finishing her race during the Hawkeye Invitational swim meet at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center on Thursday Nov. 15, 2018. Iowa competed against 14 schools across the midwest in a variety of events including free relay, freestyle, and medley relay.
December 5, 2018
The first half of the swimming and diving season will come to a close this week for the Hawkeyes after they take on Iowa State on Friday.
Iowa so far has continued to put up some NCAA qualifying times, but it is early, so nothing is set in stone. If the 2018-19 season were to end right now, the Hawkeyes would send 10 athletes to compete in NCAAs. Most of the qualifying times are in the freestyle events.
Iowa has five men who have swum NCAA “B” qualifying standard times.
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Juniors Joe Myhre and Will Scott have both posted qualifying times in freestyle sprint events. Scott swam 19.88 at the Hawkeye Invitational in the 50 free. During the same race, Myhre posted a qualifying time of 19.86. Myhre also had a qualifying time in the 100 free at the Hawkeye Invitational (43.76).
Mateusz Arndt, only a freshman this year, has put up a qualifying time in the 500 freestyle (4:23.31) at the Hawkeye Invitational.
Redshirt senior Kenneth Mende and sophomore Daniel Swanepoel have posted qualifying times in their events. Mende qualified in the 200 back (1:44.25) at the Hawkeye Invitational. Swanepoel hit in the 200 breast (1:57.56), also at the Hawkeye Invitational.
Sophomore men’s diver Anton Hoherz, ranked 11th in platform diving, posted a 365.35 when Iowa faced Denver and Michigan. The score is likely to qualify him for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships.
Two Hawkeye women divers have also posted some qualifying scores. Junior Thelma Strandberg, who ranks 12th in platform diving, scored 254.70 at the Hawkeye Invitational, good enough to qualify her for NCAA Zone Diving Championships.
Sophomore Jayah Mathews has reset her personal best all season long. At the Hawkeye Invitational, she did it in both the 1-meter (315.75) and 3-meter (365.75) springboard, both NCAA Zone qualifying standards.
Two women swimmers have also posted some qualifying times. Sophomore Kelsey Drake in the 100 fly (53.12) at the Hawkeye Invitational earn a “B” standard time.
Junior Hannah Burvill reached a “B” standard qualifying times in three events at the Hawkeye Invitational: the 50 free (22.55) also an Iowa record, the 200 (1:45.97) and 500 free (4:44.24).
“It is pretty exciting to be in the spot I am in right now,” Burvill said. “Just because it is a big confidence booster for me to do those times at the beginning of the season. So I’m looking forward to the Big Tens to see what I can really do, hopefully.”
The men will not see any action until after winter break, but the women have one more meet — Friday against Iowa State.
