The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union has announced its state swimming meet will move to the University of Iowa’s Recreation and Wellness Center in Iowa City, IA, beginning this fall. The university has played host to the boys’ state championship meet for several seasons, and will welcome its first girls’ championship from Nov. 14-15, 2025.
State meets are expected to remain at the University of Iowa through 2028, per the Southwest Iowa News Source. The girls’ state championship meet had been held at the Marshalltown Family YMCA for twenty years, since 2004. It’s approximately a 90-minute drive from the Marshalltown YMCA to the University of Iowa pool.
“We are excited to have the University of Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center hosting the Girls State Swimming and Diving Championships,” the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union executive director, Erin Gerlich, said. “Iowa City, Coralville and the Iowa City Sports Commission provide outstanding support for all the state events they host for us. They will paint the town pink for our swimmers and divers next November.”
The Recreation and Wellness Center opened in the summer of 2010. The natatorium features a pool that can be used in long-course meters and short-course yards, along with a separate diving well with 1- and 3-meter springboards and multiple platform levels. In addition to hosting the Iowa boys’ state championships, the University of Iowa’s pool has also hosted the 2015 Men’s NCAA Championships. It’s slated to host the NCAA Zone D Diving meet in March 2025, the 2026 Summit League Championships, and the 2027 Big Ten Women’s Championships.
The Dowling Catholic High School girls are the reigning IGHSAU champions. The program won its first state championship since 2019 and second in school history last fall. The team didn’t win a single race but scored in every event to earn 260 points and beat Waukee Northwest by 17 points.
I love swimming at the U of Iowa pool. Set many personal bests and the pool feels amazing!
I heard that the Iowa High school swimming league had all state swimming meets at Marshalltown because they had more seating for the 25 yard competition area, not total. (Rumor)
This is a great choice.