Iowa State Edges Out West Virginia 153-147

IOWA STATE VS. WEST VIRGINIA

  • Results
  • Hosted by Iowa State
  • Saturday, January 21st
  • 25 yards
  • Dual meet format

FINAL TEAM SCORES:

  • IOWA STATE- 153
  • WEST VIRGINIA- 147

Despite trailing through the first part of the meet, the Iowa State women were able to make a comeback, defeating West Virginia in a dual meet at home. Senior Maddie Rastall was one of the top performers for the Cyclones, placing in the top 2 in both sprint free races. In the 50 free, she was part of a top 3 sweep for her team, taking 2nd in 24.44 behind Laura Miksch (24.00) and ahead of Savanna Townsend (24.55). Rastall returned for the 100 free, but this time she was the first to the wall with her winning time of 52.88.

Freshman Keely Soellner had a strong showing in the middle distance free races for the Cyclones. Soellner got the ball rolling in the 200 free, using her front half speed to give herself the edge en route to a 1:52.80 victory. In the 500 free, she came up short behind West Virginia’s Emma Skelley (4:58.98), taking 2nd place with her 5:06.16. Skelley swept the distance races at the meet, as she also won the 1000 free in 10:22.32.

PRESS RELEASE – IOWA STATE

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State swimming and diving team completed an impressive comeback to win its fourth-straight meet against West Virginia Saturday afternoon at Beyer Pool, 153-147. It is the third year in a row that the dual between the Cyclones and Mountaineers came down to the final relay.

The score gives Iowa State its first Big 12 dual win of the season and improves the team’s record to 2-3-1, 1-0-1 Big 12.

The meet opened with a tight race in the 400 medley relay, as the Cyclones’ A squad trailed the Mountaineers’ A group by nearly two seconds heading into the freestyle leg. Maddie RastallClick here to hear it came off the block hot en route to a 51.59 split to make things interesting, but the comeback ultimately fell just short.

Iowa State’s first win came in event No. 3, as Keely Soellner swam to a time of 1:52.80 in the 200 freestyle. Two events later, the Cyclones went 1-2-4 in the 100 breaststroke, led by Kasey Roberts‘ time of 1:04.98. Danica DelaquisClick here to hear it claimed second in 1:05.48, while Megan Childs rounded out the Cyclones with a time of 1:08.34.

As is looked like West Virginia was establishing a solid lead heading into the first diving break, the Cyclone sprinting trio of Laura MikschClick here to hear it, Maddie RastallClick here to hear it and Savanna Townsend posted the first sweep of the day to make the team scores neck-and-neck.

Miksch touched in 24.00, Rastall in 24.44 and Townsend in 24.55 to take the top three spots in the race and reduce the Cyclone deficit to just three points, 67-64, as action shifted to the diving well.

Team captain Julie Dickinson did what Julie Dickinson does best in the diving well, taking first place on the three-meter board with a score of 309.15. Becky StochlClick here to hear it took fourth with 265.85 points and Katherine Mueller placed sixth, scoring 194.90 points.

Iowa State sandwiched the day’s first trip to the diving well with another sprint freestyle sprint, this time coming in the 100 freestyle. Rastall led the way by touching in 52.88, followed by Brooke Evensen in 53.50 and Silqi LuoClick here to hear it in 53.95.

West Virginia responded with a sweep of its own in the 200 backstroke and again three events later in the 100 butterfly. Between those came a pair of events in which the Cyclones took second and third place, helping to the keep the score close as West Virginia regained a slight lead. That lead grew to 131-114 as action returned to the diving well for the one-meter board.

Dickinson again won the three-meter competition, posting a score of 290.95 to win by more than 17 points. Her finish, combined with Stochl’s fifth-place result, pulled the Cyclones to within 16 points with two events left.

A 1-3-4 finish in the 200 IM led by Roberts’ time of 2:06.81 kept the meet within reach for the Cyclones. Her split of 35.98 in the breaststroke helped the junior gain over 1.5 seconds on West Virginia’s Morgan Bullock and gave Roberts a lead she would not give up. Iowa State trailed, 145-138, heading into the final race of the day.

With the Cyclones needing to take at least first place as well as second or third to win the meet, Iowa State’s A relay team stepped up to the challenge. Townsend, Rastall, Harper Emswiler and Miksch swam to a time of 1:36.17 to take the top spot in the race. The Cyclones’ B team of Ashton EhreckeClick here to hear it, Evan Hundley, Soellner and Mary Kate Luddy swam to a time of 1:38.08 to grab the two-spot and secure the meet for Iowa State.

Up Next

Iowa State returns to Beyer Pool for the final time of the 2016-17 season next Saturday for a 1 p.m. showdown with Northern Iowa. The meet will be the Cyclones’ Senior Day, with Iowa State honoring its seven seniors fifteen minutes before the start of the meet.

PRESS RELEASE – WEST VIRGINIA

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.  – It was another close battle between the West Virginia University women’s swimming and diving team and Big 12 foe Iowa State, as the Mountaineers fell 153-147 on Saturday at Beyer Pool in Ames, Iowa.
The Mountaineers held a tight lead throughout the meet against the Cyclones, but it came down to the final event, where Iowa State won the 200 freestyle relay.
“I couldn’t be prouder of these ladies,” said coach Vic Riggs. “We knew it was going to be close and knowing that each of these ladies competed and fought like Mountaineers today, we just ran out of bodies at the end. It is certainly disappointing to lose such a close meet but many of our swims were as good as last week, which is great considering we’re on the road.”
West Virginia notched eight victories, one in relay competition and seven in individual events. The Mountaineers’ day included two 1-2-3 finishes in the 200 backstroke and the 100 butterfly. Freshman Morgan Bullock led WVU with three wins, one in relay and two in individual events.
“Winning eight events was great and having the swims we had today sets us up well for Big 12s,” Riggs said.
Competition started off well for the Mountaineer women, as a team of freshman Julia Miranda, sophomore Emma Harris, Bullock and freshman Julia Nilton won the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:50.71.
“Starting off winning the relay was key, and we had a great first session with Emma Skelley, Julia M and Morgan B, all winning events,” said Riggs. “In the middle session we swept the 200 back and 100 fly along with wins from Emma H. and Emma S., respectfully, which really got us back into the lead going into the last session. Our IMers did a great job but it just wasn’t enough to close out the meet.”
The Mountaineers took 1-2 finishes in the 1,000 freestyle. Senior Emma Skelley won, touching the wall in 10:22.32. Freshman Alex Pampalone came in second with a season-best time of 10:29.92, shedding 9.1 seconds off of her previous season-best time.
Miranda took her second victory of the day and her first individual win in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.57, besting ISU’s Harper Emswiler by 1.54 seconds.
West Virginia grabbed a 1-2 finish in the 200 butterfly, as Bullock won with a time of 2:04.29. Sophomore Morgan Carr touched in second with a time of 2:05.09.
WVU went 1-2-3 in the 200 backstroke, thanks to junior Amelie Currat‘s win in 2:03.06. Miranda followed in second, touching in 2:04.64 and junior Taylor Gill came in third with a time of 2:05.22.
In the 200 breaststroke, Harris’ 2:18.72 won the race for the Mountaineers, beating Iowa State’s Kasey Roberts by 0.73 seconds.
Skelley claimed her second individual win of the day in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:58.98, winning over ISU’s Keely Soellner by nearly seven seconds.
West Virginia added its second 1-2-3 finish in the 100 butterfly. Bullock scored her second individual win with a 57.66. Carr came in second place with a time of 58.42 and Miranda touched in third in 58.81.
On springboard, sophomores Madelyn Woods and Julia Calcut posted top-two finishes. Woods placed second on 3-meter, scoring 273.60, and Calcut finished second on 1-meter with a score of 302.65.
“Today was a tough day on the boards, the divers had to fight for every point they earned,” said diving coach Michael Grapner. “I’m pleased with their performance, though not the results we had hoped for. I continue to stress the importance of confident-aggressive diving. I am starting to see that on some of their dives, but we need it on all the dives to get the W.”
The WVU women hold a record of 4-5, 1-1 in Big 12 competition.
Up next, the men and women return to the road for a pair of races at Bucknell and Villanova. WVU faces Bucknell on Friday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. ET, before traveling to Villanova the following day for a 1 p.m. ET matchup.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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