April 23, 2024

Swimmers compete in Long Course State Meet

By Jocelyn Sheets

Members of the Pella Swim Team, which included several swimmers from Newton, competed in the 2014 Iowa Swimming, Inc., Long Course State Championship Swim Meet, July 24-27, in Iowa City. Team members are (left to right), front row, Kolton DeJong, Luka DeJong, Hannah Nedder, Emma Eekhoff, Dylan Jones; second row, Danny Andringa, Alexa Gaylor, Taylor Jones, Eli Eekhoff; third row, Sarah Prendergast, Elizabeth Myers, Madeline Webb, Rachel Prendergast; back row, Jake Lensing, Taylor Purvis, Samantha Hedrick, Hank Hammer, Caleb Gaylor, Isaak Webb. Not pictured: Hannah Scotton and Lucas Warner. (Submitted Photo)

IOWA CITY — Ten swimmers, who compete for Newton High School swim teams, participated in the Iowa Swimming, Inc. Long Course State Championship Swim Meet, July 24-27, at the University of Iowa.

Hannah Scotton, Sarah Prendergast, Rachel Prendergast and Elizabeth Myers, all of Newton, along with Madeline Webb and Samantha Hedrick were swimming for the Pella Swim Club. NHS boys’ swim team members, Isaak Webb and Jake Lensing, both of Pella, also competed for the Pella Swim Club.

Newton’s Austin Bunker and Pella’s Kira Hanson competed in the event with the Central Iowa Aquatics Club of Des Moines. Bunker and Hanson swim for Newton during the school year.

The four girls from Newton experienced their first 50-meter long course swim season this summer. According to Pella Swim Club board president Melissa Webb, all four experienced success with time drops each time they hit the water in competition.

Scotton and Hedrick competed in the final of the women’s open 100-meter butterfly. Hedrick claimed second place in 1 minute, 3.78 seconds. Scotton dropped more than three seconds from her preliminary race time to her finals time, 1:08.96, to finish in the top 20.

Hedrick finished in the top 12 or higher for all six individual events she competed in.

Madeline Webb, a freshman, had a top-16 finish for 13-14 women’s 50 freestyle, putting up her best time at preliminaries, 30.11 seconds.

All seven girls are on the 2014 roster of the NCMP Aquagirls swim team for Newton this fall.

Bunker captured fourth place in the men’s open 200 butterfly in 2:22.93.  Bunker dropped more than five seconds from his preliminary race. Isaak Webb turned in a second-place finish in the men’s open 200 individual medley in 2:12.67.

Lucas Warner of Pella placed third in the 13-14 men’s 50 freestyle in 25.6 seconds. Warner shaved a full second off his preliminary time in the event. Melissa Webb said Warner is a freshman who is deciding whether to swim for Newton this winter or play basketball.

Isaak Webb finished in the top eight in five of his six individual events at the four-day meet He took the silver medal in the men’s open 100 breaststroke in 1:07.87. Warner finished seventh in the 13-14 boys 100 backstroke in 58.80 seconds.

The Pella Swim Club is coached by Jennie Hedrick-Rozenberg, Ben Hedrick and Clayton Fritz.