CEDAR FALLS, Iowa \u2013 The Cyclone swimming and diving team opened its road dual against UNI and St. Thomas on Saturday with a dominant performance on the boards before turning its attention to the swimming events. The Cyclones diving group put them in an early lead, which produced multiple podium finishes to set the tone for the meet.<\/p>\n
“Our first meet in 2026 is under our belt and coming off a tough training block I think we responded well,” said head coach Matt Leach<\/a>. “We have more work to do but I feel like we are seeing the technical changes that we have been working on. This is a solid step for us into the new year and we have a lot more growth and development to come!”<\/p>\n
Iowa State opened the competition with a strong showing in 1-meter diving, where the Cyclones claimed three of the top five spots. Maggie Bendell<\/a> led the way with a win, scoring 278.40, while Kate Mitchell<\/a> followed close behind in second with a score of 261.35. Jade Hazes<\/a> earned a fifth-place finish with 251.55, giving Iowa State an early advantage.<\/p>\n The Cyclones continued to produce on the 3-meter boards, as Mitchell took first place with a score of 288.05. Bendell added another podium finish, placing third with 276.05, while Ally Blumenfeld<\/a> and Hazes rounded out the scoring for Iowa State by finishing fifth (261.20) and sixth (255.40), respectively.<\/p>\n Iowa State carried its momentum from the boards into the swimming events, opening with a strong showing in the 200 medley relay as the Cyclone “A” squad of Piper Hagen<\/a>, Grace Swoboda<\/a>, Kendall Mallers<\/a> and Emma Kuhn<\/a> finished second in 1:46.09, with the “B” relay of Lili Neisser<\/a>, Anja Peck<\/a>, Keirlyn Mullica<\/a> and Megan Marquardt<\/a> close behind in fourth (1:47.72).<\/p>\n The Cyclones continued to score early in the 200 freestyle, led by Corinne Guist<\/a>, who placed third in 1:56.59, followed closely by Hagen in fourth (1:56.71) and Carlotta Gazzola<\/a> in seventh (1:57.67).<\/p>\n Distance events were also a major strength for Iowa State, as Gazzola placed first in both the 1000 and 500 freestyle, where Guist placed second and third. Gazzola claimed the 1000 in 10:30.73 with Guist right behind in 10:33.23, and the pair showed a similar performance in the 500, with Gazzola winning in 5:08.82 and Guist third in 5:10.84.<\/p>\n The Cyclones also found success in the breaststroke events. Grace Swoboda<\/a> delivered a standout performance in the 100 breaststroke, winning the event in 1:02.47, while Anja Peck<\/a> followed with a runner-up finish in 1:04.47. This success continued in the 200 breaststroke, with Peck leading Iowa State in the event.<\/p>\n Event Winners<\/p>\n 200 Medley Relay: UNI, (Brayton, Giedrys, Sander, Lear), 1:45.73<\/p>\n 1000 Freestyle: Carlotta Gazzola<\/a>, Iowa State, 10:30.73<\/p>\n 200 Freestyle: Morgan Meyer, UNI, 1:53.45<\/p>\n 100 Backstroke: Jordyn Davis, St. Thomas, 56.68<\/p>\n 100 Breaststroke: Grace Swoboda<\/a>, Iowa State, 1:02.47<\/p>\n 200 Butterfly: Kendall Mallers<\/a>, Iowa State, 2:05.85<\/p>\n 50 Freestyle: Abby Lear, UNI, 23.78<\/p>\n 1M Diving: Maggie Bendell<\/a>, Iowa State, 278.40<\/p>\n 100 Freestyle: Morgan Meyer, UNI, 52.49<\/p>\n 200 Backstroke: Lili Neisser<\/a>, Iowa State, 2:04.24<\/p>\n 200 Breaststroke: Anja Peck<\/a>, Iowa State, 2:18.56<\/p>\n 500 Freestyle: Carlotta Gazzola<\/a>, Iowa State, 5:08.82<\/p>\n 100 Butterfly: Nikki Walters, UNI, 57.08<\/p>\n
\nHow it Happened \u2013<\/p>\n