The ninth-ranked Gophers men’s swimming and diving team’s 210-89 thrashing of the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes at the Aquatic Center Saturday night was more than just another win — it was revenge.
Iowa has won six of the last eight meetings between the two teams, but Minnesota has beaten the Hawkeyes each year at the Big Ten Championships. As a result, the teams have turned into bitter rivals.
“We don’t really get along,” said Gophers student-coach Derek Williams, an All-American last year. “This is probably the meet we get pumped up the most for.”
Minnesota lost to Iowa five straight times in dual meets from 1989 to 1993. The Hawkeyes went into to the Aquatic Center in 1994 and got beat 143-100. That seemed to bring the rivalry to another level.
Gophers senior Mitch Henke agreed. “It’s one of our bigger Big Ten meets of the year,” he said. “Everyone gets really excited for it.”
Two years ago, the Gophers lost in Iowa City, Iowa, 145-138 in the meet’s last event. Even though it was just a regular season meeting, Iowa shaved and rested. Minnesota did not.
“We swam at Iowa my first year and lost,” junior Jeremy Rients said. “Last year they were supposed to come up, but it snowed and they didn’t make it. So, we have been waiting for this for two years now.”
Minnesota definitely took advantage of its opportunity to beat the hated Hawkeyes. The Gophers raced out to an early lead when Eriek Hulseman, Oscar Godoi, Martin Zielinski and Ty Bathurst won the 200-yard medley relay in a time of 1 minute, 37.26 seconds. That is the fastest Big Ten time of the year in that race.
Iowa was never close and won only two of 16 events.
“This is my first Iowa-Minnesota dual meet,” freshman swimmer Bill Bishop said. “I guess it’s supposed to be pretty big. We just wanted to come in here and crush them.”