Aquagirls claim second at Ames Invitational

AMES — Going up against defending state champion Ames at Saturday’s Ames Invitational swim meet, NCMP’s Aquagirls were the closest team to the Little Cyclones.

Ames, which has won four-straight Iowa state titles, won every event in its home pool, piling up 428 points. NCMP took second with 271 points and was second in six of the 12 events.

Des Moines Roosevelt placed third with 249 points followed by Storm Lake at 152, Carroll 82 and Perry with 41 points.

Senior Rachel Prendergast got nipped at the end by Ames’ Sarah Bell in the 100-yard freestyle race. Bell won in 57.74 seconds and Prendergast touched the wall in 57.91 seconds.

Freshman Morgann Eide scored 328.30 points in NCMP’s first 11-dive competition this season. Eide placed second in the 1-meter diving event.

“Rachel is such a fighter and it was a great race,” said Sarah Patterson, NCMP head coach. “Morgann’s second place in the 11-dive competition was the story of the day for us. She has improved so much and showed a lot of poise on the board.”

Samantha Hedrick finished second in the 50 freestyle in 25.19 seconds and placed third in the 500 freestyle in 5 minutes, 42.30 seconds. Hannah Scotton turned in a second-place finish in the 100 butterfly race in 1:01.88.

“Our relays were solid, and we continue to get race experience,” Patterson said.

The NCMP 200-yard medley relay team was a second behind Ames, which won in 1:54.08. The Aquagirls’ foursome combined for a 1:55.81.

NCMP’s 400 freestyle relay team took second in 3:51.08. In the 200 freestyle relay race, the Aquagirls were in a race for second against Storm Lake. Storm Lake got the touch at 1:45.33, just ahead of NCMP at 1:45.85.

The Aquagirls go to Southeast Polk Tuesday.

Contact Sports Editor Jocelyn Sheets at (641) 792-3121 Ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com.