Ames Today

Iowa State University's women's swimming and diving team will open its season at home against Nebraska on Saturday morning. The event follows the team's Alumni Meet, which took place Friday evening at Beyer Pool.

The Cyclones and the Nebraska Huskers have a long-standing rivalry, with this meet marking their 54th competition since they first met in 1972. Nebraska enters the dual with a 2-0 record, having recently defeated South Dakota and Omaha.

In preparation for the season opener, Iowa State held an intrasquad meet where swimmers were split into Cardinal and Gold teams. The Cardinal team won by a score of 86-68, securing victories in nine out of seventeen events. Senior Corinne Guist led Team Cardinal with wins in both the 100 and 200 freestyle races. Freshman Kendall Mallers stood out for Team Gold, capturing first place in the 50, 100, and 200 butterfly events. In diving, Ally Blumenfeld took first place in the 1-meter event for Team Cardinal while Kate Mitchell won the 3-meter event for Team Gold.

Cyclones head coach Matt Leach commented on Mallers' performance: "Kendall Mallers won each of her three events (50, 100, and 200 fly), contributing greatly for Team Gold." He also expressed optimism about the team's outlook as the season continues.

Blumenfeld and Mitchell are expected to build on their strong starts in diving as they compete in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events during Saturday's meet.

Looking ahead, Iowa State is scheduled to face Illinois at Beyer Pool on October 17-18. This upcoming matchup will be their first meeting in eight years.