University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Iowa
Panther swim & dive captures three wins in season-opener at Iowa
10/6/2023 8:49:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
IOWA CITY, Iowa --- UNI swimming and diving opened the 2023-24 season with three first-place finishes on Friday night in a 196.5-103.5 dual loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Campus Recreation-Wellness Center.
Reigning Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) 50-yard freestyle champion Faith Larsen started her season strong by taking the 50-yard freestyle in 23.37, edging out Iowa's Kennedy Gilbertson by 0.51 seconds. Larsen also contributed to the Panthers' success in the 200-yard freestyle relay leading off a winning squad alongside Clare Christensen, Abby Lear and Morgan Meyer in 1:34.64.
Amber Finke, who took second place at the MVC Championships last winter in the 200-yard backstroke, clocked a 2:00.82 in her first victory of the season.
Finke and Meyer also helped contribute to UNI's efforts against the Hawkeyes, with Meyer finishing in second in the 100-yard freestyle (52.23) with Larsen taking third place (52.24). Finke meanwhile earned second in the 100-yard backstroke (56.10) and the 200-yard individual medley (2:07.91).
Larsen, Finke, Sydney Aird and Scout Bergwall all combined to take second place in the 200-yard medley relay in 1:45.07. Individually, Aird finished in second in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.45) with newcomer Jenna Breitbach placing fourth (1:07.94) in her collegiate debut. Aird and Breitbach also took second and fourth places respectively in the 200-yard breaststroke with times of 2:24.85 and 2:29.82.
Bergwall placed third in both the 100-yard butterfly (57.40) and the 200-yard butterfly (2:07.84). Hannah Nedder finished just ahead of Bergwall in the 100-yard butterfly in second place (57.40) and in fourth in the 200-yard butterfly (2:12.08).
In the diving well, freshman Trista Thompson led the Panthers on the one-meter board with a score of 245.65, with Erica Peters tying for fifth place (219.10). In the three-meter competition, 2023 All-MVC Honorable Mention honoree Hannah Taylor scored a career-best 230.90 to place third, with Peters in fourth (227.70), Maddie Moran in fifth (217.10) and Avery Hogan in sixth (211.65).
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to the pool Nov. 3-4 for the Coyote Extravaganza, hosted by the University of South Dakota at the Midco Aquatics Center.
Players Mentioned
