After the University of Iowa announced it is cutting its swimming and diving program and showing no signs of reversing the decision, despite public outcry, three Iowa swimmers will transfer together to the University of Arizona.
Evan Holt will be joining the Wildcats as a middle distance freestyler that can stretch out to the 1650 and the 200 free. At one year in Iowa City, he was a 1:37 / 4:25 / 15:36 freestyler at the 2020 Big Tens. He finished as high as 23rd at Big Tens in the 1650 as he will be joining a deep Arizona squad led by one of the top distance swimmers in the nation in Brooks Fail.
Ryan Purdy is a backstroke specialist who made the B-Final at Big Tens in the 200 back with a 1:43.83 to place 12th overall. His time would be second among Wildcats swimmers from last year with outgoing senior Thomas Anderson leading the team with a 1:41.5 at Pac-12s. Purdy was a 48.72 in the 100 back, as Anderson led off the Wildcats’ 400 medley relay at 46.0. His third event was the 200 IM where his best is a 1:47.20.
Grace Reeder is an IM swimmer who scored in the C-Final at Big Tens in the 400 IM, finishing 24th with a heats time of 4:20.35. At Arizona, that would have placed her third on the team last season, which was led by Hannah Cox (4:11.94). Reeder was a 2:03.61 at Big Tens in the 200 IM and was also a 2:07.15 in the 200 butterfly.
The University of Iowa swimming and diving team still has one year remaining before the team will be cut at the end of the season.
Arizona last won the national title in 2008 in both men’s and women’s swimming and diving. Last season, the Wildcat men were seeded to get 12th at NCAAs before the meet was cancelled as they qualified seven individuals to the meet, including three seniors.