University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, February 6
Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center
10:00 AM
University of Minnesota
vs
Iowa
Players Mentioned
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Distance Freestyle
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke/IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Breaststroke/Butterfly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Breaststroke/Freestyle
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Butterfly/IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Backstroke
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Breaststroke
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Breaststroke
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Preview: Gophers Close Out Season in Tri-Dual Versus Iowa/Nebraska
2/3/2021 11:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
As Nebraska is a women-only program, the women will be competing in tri-dual fashion while the men will go head-to-head with the Hawkeyes.
"We're just looking for growth and learning from one meet to the next with our teams," said head coach Kelly Kremer. "We are excited to be at home and looking forward to celebrating our incredible seniors!"
LAST TIME OUT
A number of positives came out of Minnesota's last outing, where the two programs went a collective 1-3 versus Wisconsin and Purdue, the pinnacle of which was Max McHugh's 50.63 time in the 100 breaststroke. The time stands as the fastest in the nation thus far through the season, an NCAA 'A' cut time and 0.04 seconds faster than his Big Ten Championship winning time from a season ago.
Although McHugh notched another first place finish in the 200 breast (1:53.78), beating all other competitors by more than five full seconds, he was not the only Gopher to dominate the breaststroke events. Sophomore Emma Lezer took home gold in both the 100 (1:00.63) and 200 (2:13.85) breaststroke events for the women, bringing her top-finish total to three on the season after also claiming first as part of the 200 medley relay.
A number of freshmen proved to be key players for the Gophers as well, as newcomers Sawyer Grimes, Kaiser Neverman and Indy Jongman all recorded first place finishes throughout the meet. Grimes especially impressed, tallying a trio of top-three finishes in the 1000 freestyle (first | 9:03.21), 500 free (third | 4:28.20) and 200 back (second | 1:45.79).
Sarah Bacon proved she was still an absolute force in the diving well, securing gold by a wide margin in both springboard events. Her one-meter score (349.15) beat all other competitors by more than 47 points, while her three-meter score (369.60) came slightly closer, only edging out the nearest competitor by just over 25 points. Both scores secured the redshirt senior NCAA 'A' cuts.
For a more detailed look at the Jan. 23 results, follow the link above.
CUTS EARLY & APLENTY
With only two meets on the schedule ahead of the Big Ten Championships, there aren't many opportunities for student-athletes to hit NCAA cut times before championship season begins. However, six Gophers managed a number of cuts during their tri-dual on Jan. 23, a full list of which can be seen below.
A - Max McHugh | 100 Breast | 50.63
A - Sarah Bacon | 1-Meter | 349.15
A - Sarah Bacon | 3-Meter | 369.60
B - Max McHugh | 200 Breast | 1:53.78
B - Emma Lezer | 100 Breast | 1:00.63
B - Emma Lezer | 200 Breast | 2:13.85
B - Kaiser Neverman | 200 Fly | 1:46.59
B - Jake Butler | 1-Meter | 348.10
B - Jake Butler | 3-Meter | 377.65
B - Ryan Phillip | 1-Meter | 314.10
SERIES HISTORY
Minnesota's last outing versus Iowa came during the 2019-20 season when the Gophers traveled to Iowa City to face off with the Hawkeyes. The Minnesota women were able to secure their first win of the season in the form of a 157-143 routing, though the men fell in the matchup, 144-156.
Dating back to the 2010-11 season, the Gophers hold a commanding all-time lead over the Hawkeyes, with the women sitting at a perfect 10-0 and the men a strong 7-3. Saturday's meet will mark the final between the Gophers and Hawkeyes in what has been a long-running history of excellent competition, as the 2021 season will be the last-ever for the Iowa program.
Looking at the Cornhuskers, it has been nearly 21 years since the Gophers and Cornhuskers squared off in the dual-meet season, with the 1999-00 matchup going to Nebraska by a final score of 130-170.
A CLUE ON THE CORNHUSKERS
Nebraska, who has a pair of dual-meets under their belt thus far this season, is coming off of a 136-164 loss to Illinois on Jan. 23. Their previous and only other opponent was Iowa in a Jan. 16 matchup, where the Huskers fell to the Hawkeyes, 128-170.
A HINT OF THE HAWKEYES
Like the Gophers, the Hawkeye men have only seen competition once this season, facing off with Penn State and Northwestern in a Jan. 23 tri-dual which they eventually split, topping Penn State, 206-94, and falling to Northwestern, 94-206.
The Hawkeye women hold a 1-2 record through the 2020-21 season after falling to both Penn State (146-153) and Northwestern (75-225) in their Jan. 23 tri-dual. As mentioned above, their sole victory came over the Huskers earlier in the month via a 170-128 home win.
SENIOR RECOGNITION
As Saturday's meet will be the final home meet of the season for Minnesota, a number of seniors will be recognized before the meet for their many accomplishments and contributions to the team from their years donning the Maroon and Gold. Those seniors include:
Sarah Bacon - Indianapolis, Ind. (C)
Abbey Erwin - Boise, Idaho (C)
Brittany Horn - Appleton, Wis. (C)
Duncan Lester - Boulder, Colo.
Max Lezer - Rogers, Minn.
Maxim Royzen - Skokie, Ill.
Patricia Van Law - Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Evan Yoder - Lawrence, Kan.
Eitan Yudashkin - Kiryat Motzkin, Israel (C)
As fans will not be allowed in the venue for health and safety concerns, the ceremony will be streamed via Instagram Live.OL
HEARING FROM SENIOR CAPTAIN SARAH BACON
On the upcoming tri-dual…
"I think everyone is really looking forward to the meet this coming weekend. We have one meet under our belts that allowed everyone to get the jitters out after not competing for a whole year. The divers are really starting to dial in and look good for championship season. I think some big scores on the diving side are going to be seen in the meet against Iowa and Nebraska."
HEARING FROM SENIOR CAPTAIN BRITT HORN
On the upcoming tri-dual...
"As we approach the tri meet against Nebraska and Iowa this weekend, we are very fired up as a team. None of us knew if we would have the opportunity to compete this year because of the pandemic, but now that it's here, we are definitely ready to make the most of it. For us seniors, this will be our last dual meet. This has been a year unlike any other, but we all feel fortunate that we will forever be recognized as a Gopher."
LOOKING AHEAD
As was previously stated, this weekend's meet will mark the finale of the Gophers' 2020-21 dual meet season, so Minnesota's next chance in competitive waters will come at the 2021 Big Ten Championships.
Minnesota will be hosting the women's Big Ten Championships beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, while the men will head to Ohio St. on Tuesday, March 2 for the men's Big Ten Championships. Although no fans will be allowed at either event for health and safety concerns, both will be streamed on BTN+.
- Minnesota hosts Big Ten Conference rivals Iowa and Nebraska in their first and final home meet of the season.
- Saturday's meet will serve as the Gophers' annual senior recognition day, which will be streamed via Instagram Live before action begins.
- Action will kick off on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. CT.
- Both the swimming and diving portions of the meet will be streamed in their entirety on BTN+.
- Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
As Nebraska is a women-only program, the women will be competing in tri-dual fashion while the men will go head-to-head with the Hawkeyes.
"We're just looking for growth and learning from one meet to the next with our teams," said head coach Kelly Kremer. "We are excited to be at home and looking forward to celebrating our incredible seniors!"
LAST TIME OUT
A number of positives came out of Minnesota's last outing, where the two programs went a collective 1-3 versus Wisconsin and Purdue, the pinnacle of which was Max McHugh's 50.63 time in the 100 breaststroke. The time stands as the fastest in the nation thus far through the season, an NCAA 'A' cut time and 0.04 seconds faster than his Big Ten Championship winning time from a season ago.
Although McHugh notched another first place finish in the 200 breast (1:53.78), beating all other competitors by more than five full seconds, he was not the only Gopher to dominate the breaststroke events. Sophomore Emma Lezer took home gold in both the 100 (1:00.63) and 200 (2:13.85) breaststroke events for the women, bringing her top-finish total to three on the season after also claiming first as part of the 200 medley relay.
A number of freshmen proved to be key players for the Gophers as well, as newcomers Sawyer Grimes, Kaiser Neverman and Indy Jongman all recorded first place finishes throughout the meet. Grimes especially impressed, tallying a trio of top-three finishes in the 1000 freestyle (first | 9:03.21), 500 free (third | 4:28.20) and 200 back (second | 1:45.79).
Sarah Bacon proved she was still an absolute force in the diving well, securing gold by a wide margin in both springboard events. Her one-meter score (349.15) beat all other competitors by more than 47 points, while her three-meter score (369.60) came slightly closer, only edging out the nearest competitor by just over 25 points. Both scores secured the redshirt senior NCAA 'A' cuts.
For a more detailed look at the Jan. 23 results, follow the link above.
CUTS EARLY & APLENTY
With only two meets on the schedule ahead of the Big Ten Championships, there aren't many opportunities for student-athletes to hit NCAA cut times before championship season begins. However, six Gophers managed a number of cuts during their tri-dual on Jan. 23, a full list of which can be seen below.
A - Max McHugh | 100 Breast | 50.63
A - Sarah Bacon | 1-Meter | 349.15
A - Sarah Bacon | 3-Meter | 369.60
B - Max McHugh | 200 Breast | 1:53.78
B - Emma Lezer | 100 Breast | 1:00.63
B - Emma Lezer | 200 Breast | 2:13.85
B - Kaiser Neverman | 200 Fly | 1:46.59
B - Jake Butler | 1-Meter | 348.10
B - Jake Butler | 3-Meter | 377.65
B - Ryan Phillip | 1-Meter | 314.10
SERIES HISTORY
Minnesota's last outing versus Iowa came during the 2019-20 season when the Gophers traveled to Iowa City to face off with the Hawkeyes. The Minnesota women were able to secure their first win of the season in the form of a 157-143 routing, though the men fell in the matchup, 144-156.
Dating back to the 2010-11 season, the Gophers hold a commanding all-time lead over the Hawkeyes, with the women sitting at a perfect 10-0 and the men a strong 7-3. Saturday's meet will mark the final between the Gophers and Hawkeyes in what has been a long-running history of excellent competition, as the 2021 season will be the last-ever for the Iowa program.
Looking at the Cornhuskers, it has been nearly 21 years since the Gophers and Cornhuskers squared off in the dual-meet season, with the 1999-00 matchup going to Nebraska by a final score of 130-170.
A CLUE ON THE CORNHUSKERS
Nebraska, who has a pair of dual-meets under their belt thus far this season, is coming off of a 136-164 loss to Illinois on Jan. 23. Their previous and only other opponent was Iowa in a Jan. 16 matchup, where the Huskers fell to the Hawkeyes, 128-170.
A HINT OF THE HAWKEYES
Like the Gophers, the Hawkeye men have only seen competition once this season, facing off with Penn State and Northwestern in a Jan. 23 tri-dual which they eventually split, topping Penn State, 206-94, and falling to Northwestern, 94-206.
The Hawkeye women hold a 1-2 record through the 2020-21 season after falling to both Penn State (146-153) and Northwestern (75-225) in their Jan. 23 tri-dual. As mentioned above, their sole victory came over the Huskers earlier in the month via a 170-128 home win.
SENIOR RECOGNITION
As Saturday's meet will be the final home meet of the season for Minnesota, a number of seniors will be recognized before the meet for their many accomplishments and contributions to the team from their years donning the Maroon and Gold. Those seniors include:
Sarah Bacon - Indianapolis, Ind. (C)
Abbey Erwin - Boise, Idaho (C)
Brittany Horn - Appleton, Wis. (C)
Duncan Lester - Boulder, Colo.
Max Lezer - Rogers, Minn.
Maxim Royzen - Skokie, Ill.
Patricia Van Law - Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Evan Yoder - Lawrence, Kan.
Eitan Yudashkin - Kiryat Motzkin, Israel (C)
As fans will not be allowed in the venue for health and safety concerns, the ceremony will be streamed via Instagram Live.OL
HEARING FROM SENIOR CAPTAIN SARAH BACON
On the upcoming tri-dual…
"I think everyone is really looking forward to the meet this coming weekend. We have one meet under our belts that allowed everyone to get the jitters out after not competing for a whole year. The divers are really starting to dial in and look good for championship season. I think some big scores on the diving side are going to be seen in the meet against Iowa and Nebraska."
HEARING FROM SENIOR CAPTAIN BRITT HORN
On the upcoming tri-dual...
"As we approach the tri meet against Nebraska and Iowa this weekend, we are very fired up as a team. None of us knew if we would have the opportunity to compete this year because of the pandemic, but now that it's here, we are definitely ready to make the most of it. For us seniors, this will be our last dual meet. This has been a year unlike any other, but we all feel fortunate that we will forever be recognized as a Gopher."
LOOKING AHEAD
As was previously stated, this weekend's meet will mark the finale of the Gophers' 2020-21 dual meet season, so Minnesota's next chance in competitive waters will come at the 2021 Big Ten Championships.
Minnesota will be hosting the women's Big Ten Championships beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, while the men will head to Ohio St. on Tuesday, March 2 for the men's Big Ten Championships. Although no fans will be allowed at either event for health and safety concerns, both will be streamed on BTN+.
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