IOWA CITY — The Iowa City High School Little Hawks girls swimming and diving team lost eight seniors to graduation in May including multiple state championship winner, and Solon High School grad, Grace Hoeper.

However, Coach Mandi Kowal is looking at the largest incoming freshman class in five years and returns eight letterwinners – one senior, five juniors, and two sophomores to the varsity lineup.

As Solon does not have a swimming and diving program Solon athletes are able to compete with City High. Donning City High red are juniors Maddie Elkins (returning letter winner) and Ella Pressler (a diver). Joining them are freshman Avery Feuerbach, who swims with the Iowa Flyers Swim Club (IFLY), and junior Ireland Hagarty (a diver).

Regarding the large freshman class, Kowal said, “They are very promising and it’ll be fun to watch them grow and embrace the high school season. Quite a few of them have swim club and that will help our group.

Kowal has several divers on the roster this season but noted their pool (Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City) was shut down for most of the summer, “But with another year under their belt and having a returning coach, good things should come from this group,” she said. “Ireland (Hagarty) is new to the diving roster but has shown some great skills in such a short time.”

Three home meets on the schedule

The 2025 season began Tuesday, August 26 (after this edition had gone to print) at Cedar Rapids Kennedy. City High’s first home meet will be Tuesday, Sept. 16 as Cedar Rapids Washington visits the Mercer Park Aquatic Center. City High hosts their annual Little Hawk Relays Saturday, Sept. 20 and will entertain crosstown rival Iowa City West High/Liberty High’s Trojan-Bolts Tuesday, Sept. 30.