This is the third article of a four-part series previewing the Iowa State swimming and diving team going into the 2009-10 season. The season kicks off Friday at the annual intrasquad meet at 6 p.m. at Beyer Pool. Admission is free.
AMES, Iowa- The Iowa State swimming and diving team was always a threat in the 100 breaststroke last season. The Cyclones won the event in all the meets that featured the event last season except for the Big 12 Championships, where they grabbed second and third. The Cyclones will be without Marni Benson, who earned two of those event wins, finished second at the Big 12 Championships in the event and is the current school-record holder in the event.
“Graduating a school-record holder in Marni Benson and Krista Moyer, who placed at the Big 12 Championships, it would seem tough to rebound from,” head coach Duane Sorenson said. “We have Jeli Nixt back and she was right behind Marni.”
Nixt, a junior, returns for the Cyclones, having won the 100 breast in seven meets last season and finishing only .12 seconds behind Benson in the event at the conference championships. She will take the lead for the Cyclones this upcoming season along with fellow junior Lindsey Frodyma and incoming freshman Marley Suckow.
Suckow earned high school All-America honors in the 100 breast and finished second at the KSHSAA state championships as a senior. Sorenson is pleased to have an experienced swimmer like Suckow coming into the lineup.
“Marley is an outstanding breaststroker with a lot of credentials coming in,” Sorenson said. “Looking at how she has been so far and making some slight technical changes has made her even better.”
The 200 breast lineup is the same as the 100 but Sorenson sees that as an area that Suckow can contribute to immediately.
“In the 200, it is the same group of people but I think Marley’s stroke and demeanor is more suited for the 200,” Sorenson said. “Jeli’s goal is to step up her 200 breast, she did good last year improving her 200, but I think she can go a little bit faster. Lindsey is also doing a really nice job.”
The Cyclone lineup features many versatile swimmers and they will be looking for those swimmers to contribute in the individual medley events. Sorenson sees Lindsey Behrens and Dani Harris as the Cyclones top options at the 200-yard distance.
“Lindsey Behrens is our fastest returnee in the IM’s and we will probably swim her there quite a bit,” Sorenson said. “Lindsey is so versatile, we can swim her in many different races. Dani Harris is a tremendous in the IM. She is very strong in all four of her strokes so we are looking for a lot out of them.”
ISU only competed in the 400 IM twice in the regular season last year before the conference championships. ISU’s top returnee in the event is sophomore Taylor Vieau. Vieau was the only Cyclone to go under the 4:30 mark in the event last season. The Cyclones will also call upon junior Jackie Itzen and sophomore Hannah McCulley in the event.
“Taylor took the lead there and we will be looking for the same type of thing,” Sorenson said. “Jackie Itzen always has a good 400 IM in her each year, which usually appears at the Big 12 Championships, so we will be looking for a little more consistency out of her. Hannah has been training a lot of the different strokes so she can become a better in the 400 IM.”
