The University of Iowa is one team in the Big Ten that steadily been on the ascent over the last few years when it comes to placing at the Conference Championships. With 113 points scored at the 2013 Big Ten Championships, 199 points scored in 2014, and 223 points scored at last year’s meet, the Hawkeyes are clearly doing something right when it comes to getting ready for Championship season, and one of the biggest factors in the the team’s success in recent years has been senior Allie Orvis out of Decorah, Iowa.
Before college, Orvis competed for the Dubuque Area Swimmin’ Hurricanes and Decorah High School, and she enjoyed a great deal of success in both club swimming and high school swimming. She held an impressive 10 school records for Decorah and also came to the Hawkeyes a club record holder in the 100 Back (58.16), 200 Back (1:58.17), 100 Fly (56.49), 200 IM (2:04.97), and 400 IM (4:34.61).
As a freshman, Orvis immediately demonstrated her utility and versatility by competing in a wide variety of events for Iowa at the Big Ten Championships. She would take 47th in the 200 IM (2:03.88), 46th in the 100 fly (56.89), and 64th in the 100 free (52.29). She would also anchor the Hawkeyes’ 200 free relay with a 22.83 split, good for 2nd amongst her teammates, and Iowa would take 10th overall with a 1:31.73. Additionally, earlier in the season, Orvis would go career bests in the 50 free (23.88) and 200 IM (2:03.21) in dual meet action.
The following year, Orvis saved her best swimming for the end of the year, and the 2014 Big Ten Championships also saw her get her first taste of second swims at the conference meet. In the 200 IM, Orvis would go a 2:01.76 in prelims, a new lifetime best, before taking 23rd at night (2:03.96). She would also improve on her placings from the previous year by taking 42nd in the 100 fly (56.00) and 53rd in the 100 free (51.43), both setting new collegiate bests in the process. Finally, she would also anchor the Hawkeyes’ 200 free relay once more, helping the team move up one place from the previous year to take 9th overall (1:31.93).
Just as the Hawkeyes continued to improve as a team, Allie led by example as a junior, swimming to her best Conference Championships yet with Iowa. Individually, Orvis slightly changed up her event schedule, and it paid big dividends for the then-junior as she took 41st in the 200 IM (2:03.23), 18th in the 100 back (54.43), and 27th in the 200 back (1:59.43). She would also provide the lead-off split on Iowa’s school record-setting 200 medley relay (1:39.18) with a 25.44 backstroke split.
Wiser than ever, and ready to lead the Hawkeyes into battle one last time, Orvis has done a good job of positioning herself for success in her final Big Tens of her career. At the 2015 Hawkeye Invite, she posted very respectable times in the 100 back (55.24), 200 back (2:00.48), and the 100 fly (55.63). Additionally, there is a very good chance that we could see another school record tumble in Ann Arbor, as Orvis helped the Hawkeyes cruise to a 1:39.47 at that same invite, just under three-tenths of a second off the program standard set last February.
With the confidence to perform well at the end of the season already ingrained within the team’s culture, it should be expected that Iowa will get a strong set of performances from Allie Orvis at her last Big Ten Championships. Look for her to lead the Hawkeyes as they attempt to continue their quest of rising in the team standings year after year.
Best Times (SCY/LCM):
50 Free: 23.87/27.23
100 Free: 51.43/59.31
100 Back: 54.43/1:04.82
200 Back: 1:59.43/2:23.07
100 Fly: 55.58/1:03.39
200 IM: 2:01.76/2:22.08
200 Medley Relay: 1:39.18*
*Denotes school record
School Major/Degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography (Art major!)
Favorite Event: 100 back and 50 back on the 200 medley relay
Favorite Hobby: Photography and Singing. Fun fact, I am the lead vocalist for the local folk-inspired alternative band, Red Comet.
Favorite Movie: I am a sucker for Romance films! My top three movies are Pride and Prejudice, Moulin Rouge, and [insert any Nicholas Spark’s movie].
Person You’d Like to Meet Growing Up: My fellow free spirit, Diana, Princess of Wales
Favorite Food/ Pre-Race Meal: Ironically, they are the same thing. I love bagels – any kind, you name it!
At what age did you become involved with swimming? How did you get into it?
During my early childhood, I grew up in California and swam for the Oakdale Gators at the age of eight. I had that natural talent at a young age. A couple years later when my family and I moved to Iowa, I continued training and falling in love with the sport. I enjoyed swimming almost every event. Yes, I swam the 400 IM, 1,000, and the mile!
What is your favorite collegiate swimming memory and why?
My favorite swim meet memory is the Iowa versus Iowa State meet last year. The weekend before I split a close to best 100 back time by a second at the Hawkeye Invite. Against ISU, I dropped another second and achieved a personal best. This duel meet was also fun watching my team and I grab another victory against a big rival.
The Hawkeyes have a very young team this season with 19 freshmen and sophomores representing the Black and Gold. Can you describe what it has been like to have such a unique team composition, and also speak about how this has allowed you to develop as a team leader?
The diverse mix of personalities among my teammates allowed this team to share a lot of fun memories during our travels to competitions and training trip. The women’s team dynamics continually progressed during my four years here. I was able to connect with several of my younger teammates, whom I share similar personalities with, by encouraging them to grow as individuals on the pool deck.
At the Hawkeye Invitational in December, you approached your best times in several events, with your 100 back and 200 back both being around a second off your collegiate bests. Do you feel like your performances in December put you in a good place with respect to the second half of your season?
After my performances at the Hawk Invite, I realized I had not reached my full potential in the backstroke events. The second half of the season I focused on fine-tuning my stroke. February rolled around and I accomplished season best times in the 100 and 200 back. I have been fortunate to train with Coach Malone and the back group my entire senior season. : )
What/who do you think has been the single most important catalyst to your swimming career?
My parents, hands down. They are like my second coaches. Multiple times I have received motivating text messages from “Coach Dad” and novels of encouraging words from my mom via email. During the beginning of this season, my parents helped me remain faithful mentally when I struggled to reach decent times in the back events. I owe them!
Do you have any plans/commitments following the completion of your collegiate career?
In terms of swimming, I won’t be able to stay out of the water to long. I picture myself keeping my toes wet two-three times a week. Swimming has been the love of my life for 10+ years…I won’t be able to give it up! With my new free time I will have this semester, I will begin searching for a job relating to photography or design.
What should we look forward to from iowa as a whole at this year’s Big Ten Championships?
Every year since I was a freshmen we have progressed in the team scores at Big Tens. We are hungry for more points and great swims at Michigan!
So glad to hear your passion for the sport hasn’t subsided. People like you are what make the sport great–you don’t care if you’re not featured on ESPN, you just do it for the thrill of going faster, and being part of the swimming family. Congrats on a great article and a great career.
Nice article. Great photo. Good luck to Allie and the University of Iowa swimmers and divers at Big Tens. Winning, success and development as a team or as an individual is not always about what numeric place you finish.
Allie, you are an amazing woman – in and out of the pool! I feel so blessed to have gotten to know you via my daughter Mackenzie and doubly blessed that you two are such great friends! With your positive attitude, smiling demeanor and amazing outlook I know you will continue to find success in your life and career!
Allie, you do Decorah proud! Wishing you speed and success in your events. (and job search!) Good luck, girl!
“Steady ascent”… LOL. You mean, “somehow the Hawkeye program hasn’t had a top half finish since Marc Long became head coach of the women’s program 12 YEARS AGO.” His best finishes at NCAAS are due to divers (on the womens side) as well. Just another case of the Athletics department not caring as long as nobody is being beaten (not in rhe sporting matter, obviously).
Great read but Don’t forget to note that their leading point scorer from the last four years, Becky Stoughton, is gone. Should be an interesting B1G for the hawks. There isn’t much development going on at Iowa.
Are you a part of the program at Iowa? If so, then you’re entitled to your opinion. If not, I’d like to know how you have any idea what is going on at Iowa.
It’s also pretty easy to see what is going on at Iowa when very few swimmers get best times at their “peak” swim meet. Also, note how they didn’t take some of their top swimmers along with not putting their top swimmers on the “A” relay. Where was there top sprinter on the 200 Freestyle Relay at Big Tens? It seems to me that Iowa is more focused on the politics of swimming and not the actual times and racing. Multiple years in a row the swim team as a whole has struggled to show top times at big meets. The program gets some top recruits and does nothing with them, something the athletic department should definitely look into.
Same wins vs same schools each year. It’s obvious. Nostradamus nailed it. Don’t be so sensitive about your program. Everyone enjoys a program that is on the rise, like every other sport at your school. Your wrestling coach should take over.
Go after it, Allie, you have practiced hard and are ready to showcase your final B1G 10’s. Have fun and be a great leader for the Hawkeyes.