Aquagirls claim second at Valley’s Tiger Tanker

WEST DES MOINES — Newton/Colfax-Mingo/Pella’s Aquagirls spent a week preparing calling it a milestone week. NCMP’s goal was to go into Saturday’s Valley Tiger Tanker and beat host West Des Moines Valley High’s swim team.

Mission accomplished.

“We knew we probably wouldn’t be able to beat Waukee, but we did have our sights on beating Valley. That is something we have never done before in either dual competition or in any meet,” said Sarah Patterson, NCMP head coach.

“We started off 59 points behind Valley after the diving. We knew we had to swim hard and swim fast to make up points. From the first event of the day, I knew the girls were going to race and make a great day out of it.”

Waukee won the Tiger Tanker team title with 442 points. NCMP took second with 368 points with Valley in third at 335. Spencer placed fourth with 248 points followed by Lewis Central with 167, Atlantic with 156 and Sioux City Metro with 153 points.

Patterson said the Aquagirls’ relay teams had a strong day in the water. The foursome of Sydney Jenkins, Hannah Rhoads, Hannah Schotton and Alexis Stout placed fourth in the medley race in 1 minute, 56.19 seconds. The 200-yard freestyle really of Sara Martin, Scotton, Stout and Samantha Hedrick placed third with a near-season best time.

In the final event — the 400 freestyle relay — Scotton, Rachel Prendergast, Jenkins and Hedrick had the top relay finish of the day for the NCMP. The four combined for second place in 3:47.21.

Hedrick broke her own school record in taking second in the 200 freestyle race in 1:56.66. Rachel Prendergast posted a season-fastest time of 2:05.94 to place fourth.

In the 200 individual medley race, Rhoads claimed sixth, racing to the finish with her best 50 freestyle split at the end of the event for a time of 2:24.57. Sierra Griffith and Sarah Prendergast tied for 12th with exactly the same time, 2:31.07.

Places 1-16 scored points in the meet. NCMP placed 1-2-8-10 in the 100 butterfly race, which put the Aquagirls in front of Valley. Scotton won the race with Martin in second. Emily Miller scored points in eighth place and Elizabeth Myers took 10th.

Hedrick faced Lewis Central’s MyKenzie Leehy again in the 100 freestyle race. Patterson said it was good because Hedrick was pushed to a good middle-of-the-season time of 53.93 for second place. Rachel Prendergast took eighth in 57.84 followed by Madeline Webb in 10th at 58.70 and Stout in 16th at 1:01.67.

“All of our 500 (yard freestyle) swimmers had strong swims with sophomore Sarah Prendergast placing the highest with a time of 5:54.69, good for seventh.Teammates Kira Hanson, Jessica Zahn, and Willa Colville placed 10th, 17th, and 19th, with Jessica and Willa going personal best times,” Patterson said.

Jenkins, Hanson, Kaelee Knoll and Abby Jolivette did well in the 100 backstroke event. Sierra Griffith led the NCMP breaststroke contingent, turning in a 1:13.81 for fourth place.

“She took the lead in her heat and never looked back. She was seeded eighth. It is so fun to watch her hard work paying off. Sara Martin, Hannah Rhoads, and Olivia Maharry all scored points for the team as well in the event, placing eight, ninth, and 15th,” Patterson said.

Patterson said the NCMP B-team relays “were the talk of the town.”

The B medley relay team of Hanson, Griffith, Martin, and Miller placed second to  Waukee’s B, taking seventh in 1:59.71. The B 200 freestyle relay team of Miller, Rhoads, Knoll, and Rachel Prendergast placed seventh — topping all other B relays in the field, and then the team of Webb, Myers, Sarah Prendergast, and Miller replicated the feat in the 400 freestyle with a time of 3:55.86, which has to be one of the fastest B relays in the state.

“I am so proud of our team — the way they work hard, the way they work together, and the way they support each other. I also want to thank Coach Dave Hook who filled in for Coach Chris Forsyth, who was attending a wedding, and manager Austin Bunker who doubles as an assistant coach and is invaluable at helping me keep my sanity,” Patterson said.

NCMP is at Ankeny Centennial on Tuesday.