Minnesota vs. Iowa
- Iowa City, IA
- SCY Dual Meet (Women only)
- Full Results
- Team Scores
- Minnesota 156 Iowa 104
The University of Minnesota women’s program kicked off their 2021-22 campaign in Iowa City on Friday, topping Iowa 156 to 104. The meet also served as Iowa head coach Nathan Mundt’s Big 10 debut, as he takes on the task of rebuilding an Iowa women’s program that was saved from being cut last February. Minnesota exhibitioned all of their swimmers from the 500 free onwards in the meet.
The Golden Gophers were led by sprinter Pyper Doo, who swept both of the sprint freestyle races. The Vadnais Heights, Minnesota native won the 50 free in 23.95 and the 100 free 52.64. Doo also while also anchored Minnesota’s winning 200 medley relay, teaming with Paula Rodriguez, Emma Lezer and Emma Linscott for a 1:44.92.
Minnesota’s lone returning NCAA swimming qualifier, Megan Van Berkom, dominated the 200 fly in 2:01.28 and later returned to finish second in the 200 breast in 2:22.31.
At last year’s NCAA Championships, the Chatham, Illinois native finished 33rd in the 400 IM and 44th in the 200 fly. She was also the team’s highest-scoring swimmer or diver at the Big Ten Championships, where she picked up 40 points.
Iowa was led by their diving program, which swept both the 1 and 3 meter springboard events against a historically stout Minnesota diving program. Senior NCAA qualifier Samantha Tamborski won the 3 meter with a score of 324.10, while freshman Makayla Hughbanks won the 1 meter with a 274.45. Hughbanks is a product of nearby Bettendorf, Iowa and was the high school state champ in 2020. Notably absent for the Golden Gophers was NCAA champion Sarah Bacon, who announced in July that she would be returning to the program for a fifth year of eligibility.
Mundt’s challenge to rebuild the Iowa program is as salient as ever, with the program scoring only 104 points in the dual meet and being unable to fill out a full scoring roster. With the program’s reinstatement coming in February and Mundt’s hiring coming in late May, Iowa was inevitably behind in recruiting the high school class of 2021 and unable to replenish their roster with a large freshman class. They have jumped into the class of 2023 recruiting pool early, however, with a commitment from in-state Hayley Kimmel just a few days ago.
Both of Iowa’s returning NCAA qualifying swimmers transferred, with Alyssa Graves heading to Ohio State, and Mallory Jump heading north to Madison to join the Wisconsin Badgers. As currently constituted, the Hawkeye roster includes only 8 swimmers, none of which are freshmen, and four divers.
Other individual event winners include:
- 1000 free: Eliot Kennedy (Minnesota) 10:18.76
- 200 free: Indy Jongman (Minnesota) 1:54.15
- 100 back: Hannah Cornish (Minnesota) 56.22
- 100 breast: Emma Lezer (Minnesota) 1:03.94
- 200 back: Indy Jorgman (Minnesota) 2:02.78
- 200 breast: Emma Lezer (Minnesota) 2:20.26
- 500 free: Anna Booker (Iowa) 5:07.63
- 100 fly: Ariel Wooden (Iowa) 1:02.40
- 200 IM: Aleksandra Oleksiak (Iowa) 2:11.29
Iowa will next travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on the University of Nebraska on October 23rd. Minnesota returns to competition a week later on October 29th when they welcome those same Nebraska Cornhuskers to Minneapolis for a dual meet.