On Thursday, Dec. 1 and Friday, Dec. 2, it was just the divers that competed in the Hawkeye Diving Invite in Iowa City. 

The one meter dive was the only diving that happened on Thursday. In the B-final, Taylor Hogan finished second, with a score of 259.90. Abby Hutchins also competed in the final for the one meter dive, tying for seventh in the B-final, while scoring 237.85. Also featured in the one meter for UNI, but not participating in the finals, were Maddie Morgan who scored 215.20, Erica Peters scoring 211.65 and Hannah Taylor with 204.60.

On Friday was the three meter dive. Peters made it to the finals this time, posting her season best score of 258.20, earning herself fifth place in the B-final. Hogan also competed in the final, finishing right behind Peters with a score of 255.95 for sixth place. In the preliminaries, Hutchins scored a 238.20, Moran scored a 236.25 and Taylor scored a 228.80. 

Right around the same time as the Hawkeye Diving Invite, UNI’s Faith Larsen competed in the U.S. Open Championships which happened on Wednesday, Nov. 30 through Saturday, Dec. 3 in Greensboro, N.C.

Larsen competed in the 50-meter freestyle, and became the first ever Panther to compete in a U.S. Open final. In the preliminaries, Larsen tied her career best with a time of 26.25, which was enough to earn her a spot in the C-final. In the C-final, she did not do quite as well as in the prelims, but her time of 26.53 still earned her eighth place.

It was a good week for UNI swimming and diving, and next up in the pool we will see Olivia Chambers compete at the U.S. Paralympic Swimming National Championships. This event will be held in Charlotte, N.C., Dec. 16-18.

The whole team has a big break before they get back at it against Illinois State. UNI will host the Redbirds on Friday, Jan. 13 and Saturday, Jan. 14. After that, the Panthers will stay in the state, heading to Ames to face off against Iowa State and West Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 21.