Cyclone Swimming Camps
Duane Sorenson, Iowa State Women's Swimming Coach

Duane Sorenson, who enters his 15th season as the head coach of the Iowa State swimming and diving program, brings a squad that includes 18 returning letterwinners and four newcomers into the 2011-12 campaign.

The dean of Big 12 coaches, Sorenson’s swimmers have earned all-conference honors 37 times, including Jeli Nixt, who has earned All-Big 12 accolades in the 100 breast three times during her Iowa State career.

As a testament to his ability to improve student-athlete performances and get the most out of his swimmers, all of Iowa State’s current swimming records have been set under the guidance of Sorenson.

The 2009-10 season was historic for the Cyclones, winning eight dual meets for the first time in school history. Iowa State collected victories against Illinois State, Evansville, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Green Bay, Iowa and Nebraska-Omaha before finishing fifth at the Big 12 Championships with 338 points. ISU broke 10 school records during the four-day event and had four all-conference performances in the pool and on the diving boards.

The 33-year coaching veteran has compiled a 74-64 (.536) record in his 14 years at Iowa State. He has won six or more duals in five seasons, including a 7-2 finish during the 2001-02 campaign. It was ISU’s best record in 20 years and the team finished fourth at the Big 12 meet, scoring 500 points, the highest total in school history and the best finish at the Big 12 meet. Three Cyclones competed in six events at the NCAA Championships that year, including Sonja Groning, who finished 19th in the 100 fly. Seven Cyclones have competed in twenty-three different individual events at the NCAA Championships during Sorenson's tenure.

The 2000-01 Cyclones finished 6-4 while the 2002-03 team went 6-3, which marks the second-best record achieved by an ISU swimming and diving team under Sorenson.

At the 2001 Big 12 Championships, Sorenson earned Co-Outstanding Coach of the Meet.

Since taking the position as the Cyclones’ head coach, Sorenson’s teams have not only made great strides in the pool, but have achieved success in the classroom as well. Iowa State’s grade-point average is consistently among the best in the conference and frequently among the nation’s highest.

The Cyclones placed 20 student-athletes on the Academic All-Big 12 teams in 2010-11, including 15 on the first team. Kalyn Amundsen, Justine Anders, Amy Bauer, Brianna Carlberg, Mandi Caudle, Abby Christensen, Marley Dobyns, Lindsey Frodyma, Dani Harris, Sarah Nelson, Sarah Norris, Megan Thompson, Chelsea Tomek, Tiana Wollin and Johanna Wubbena captured first team honors, while Jenn Botsch, Meredith Doran, Liz Holman, Lauren Naeve and Jenny Vondenkamp were second-team honorees.

As a team, ISU earned CSCAA Scholastic All-America team honors for the 21st-consecutive season.

Before coming to Iowa State, Sorenson was head coach of the South East Metro Sharks (SEMS) Swim Club. As coach of the Sharks, he received the Minnesota Chapter of the American Swimming Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year award five different times. In his 20 years with the club, Sorenson led the team to five championships and 11 runner-up finishes at state competition. More notably, he tutored 67 junior national qualifiers and 25 senior national qualifiers throughout his tenure at SEMS. From 1987-97, more than 120 of Sorenson’s swimmers graduated to the collegiate level.

Sorenson served as the head coach for the Woodbury High School girls’ swim team. While coaching the Royals, Sorenson’s squads captured four conference titles, won four sectional championships, had one state runner-up finish and captured one state title. His accomplishments earned him the 1991 High School Coach of the Year award for the State of Minnesota.

Sorenson also served as the head girls’ swimming coach at Park/Woodbury High School (1982-85), Park Senior High (1979-81) and Tartan High School (1977-78), all in Minnesota. Sorenson coached swimmers at these schools to three sectional championships and four conference titles.

During the 1978-79 season, Sorenson was asked back to his alma mater, Bemidji State University, as an assistant coach for the men’s team. He helped guide the Beavers to a fourth-place NAIA national finish, the highest national placing in school history.

As a student-athlete at Bemidji State from 1973-77, Sorenson was a member of the swimming team. During his junior and senior seasons he was an NAIA All-American and co-captain. In 1976, he swam to a Northern Intercollegiate Conference championship in the 200 breaststroke.