Hannah Geng ’27
Q: How did you get into swimming?
A: My sister started [swimming] when she was ten, so I started when I was 5.
Q: What’s the difference between club swimming and school swimming?
A: Swimming club is definitely harder. Swimming for school, it’s just more fun. [There are] meets every week in high school, I have three next week. In club, I would probably do three every season.
Q: What has been your happiest moment as a swimmer?
A: One of my favorite meets that I’ve had was at [Central] Zones Championships when I was 12. We were in Indiana
and I was with Team Iowa. It was really fun to hang out with friends from all over Iowa, not just from our club.
Q: What has been your proudest moment while swimming?
A: My most recent one was probably at Summer State this past summer when I won the 100-meter freestyle. It was a pretty close race. The girl next to me had beaten me in other races, so I just wanted to win that one.
Q: What’s your go-to pregame snack?
A: I eat fruit snacks at almost every single meet, so probably that, or Chex Mix
↑ Hannah’s pre-meet playlist!
Sophia Austen ’27
Q: How and when did you start playing volleyball?
A: It was my grandma; she brought a volleyball over [to my house] and we started playing. I started playing recreationally, then for the Iowa Rockets club and have played for six years.
Q: What is the biggest tournament you’ve been to?
A: The biggest tournament is nationals, and [my club team] went the last four years. Last year, we got ninth overall, which is the best that we’ve ever done.
Q: What is it like being on varsity as a freshman?
A: I was really stressed out before the first game, I was nervous. But the people are really nice. I love my teammates. I love the coaches. It’s just a lot of fun.
Q: What is the hardest aspect of your sport?
A: [Volleyball] is a mental game, and people don’t understand that. It is like a rollercoaster; you [have] to get down and try to be calm in tough moments.
Q: What has been your happiest moment playing volleyball?
A: We won [club] state this last season. It went to three sets; we lost the first and then won the last two. It was a lot of fun because we had worked all season for it.
Q: What is your favorite position to play?
A: Either middle blocker or outside hitter. I played middle for Rockets this past year [and] outside for high school.
Q: What is your favorite pregame snack?
A: I love fruit snacks, [they] are my favorite.
