Thorson finds comfort zone at Iowa State
AMES — Lehr Thorson and the Iowa State women’s swim team have a motto for this season: last 30.
For Thorson and her Cyclone teammates, that means one simple goal.
“No matter the race or situation, you are going to really give everything you have left in those last 30 yards or your race,” said Thorson, a sophomore at ISU.
Following her standout career at Fort Dodge Senior High, Thorson elected to stay close to home to continue her career at the Div. I level. She was one of the Top-5 breaststrokers for the Cyclones as a freshman, ending that year with the second-fastest time in the 200 breaststroke.
Thorson earned all-Big 12 second team status in that event, setting personal records at the conference meet in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes.
“The Div. I level has opened my eyes to many talented swimmers and divers,” Thorson said. “I think the biggest shock of me initially was just that everyone you compete with and against are so talented. Also, the level of detail we work on in practice.
“With all of our resources at Iowa State, we are able to break down every stroke and work on very specific details.”
Thorson took all of her experiences from that initial season under head coach Duane Sorenson and his staff through the summer, preparing herself for this year.
“Offseason workouts are fun at ISU because we practice outside in a long-course pool,” she said. “That was a pretty big chance for me. This summer, I was able to compete in quite a few meets, which helped me gain more experience in my events and work on some of the skills we had been learning in practice.”
Thorson has the second-fastest times once again this year for the Cyclones in her two events, going 1:06.86 in the 100 breaststroke and 2:28.17 in the 200. Her times are roughly five seconds off the “B” cut times for the NCAA Championships.
She also has the fifth-fastest time in the 200 individual medley in 2:16.74.
Iowa State has already scored dual meet victories over South Dakota, South Dakota State and TCU, along with facing off against Nebraska and SMU.
“Our freshmen have really stepped up,” Thorson said. “It has been so fun seeing them compete.”
As a Dodger, Thorson placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke at state, earning all-state status. She was a three-time state qualifier and broke numerous school records, along with being named a 2016 Scholastic All-American.
Thorson is majoring in event management at Iowa State, and credits the school with helping her balance being a student-athlete.
“I owe a lot to the support staff here at ISU,” she said. “They make it easy because they understand what needs to be a priority. My teachers are also very understanding of how demanding my swim schedule can be and they are able to work with me.”
The Cyclones compete at the Kansas Classic Nov. 16-18 and close out the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule on Dec. 7 against Iowa.