Cardinal swimmers set fast pace for 2014-15

Coming off a record-setting season, Newton’s boys swim team hits the competitive waters with high expectations in 2014-15.

The Cardinals qualified two relays and three individual swimmers in four events for the 2014 state meet. They set three Newton records at the state competition.

“Our team has strong swimmers in each event and on our relays. We have a good mix of upper and lower classmen, which helps out with team balance,” said David Hook, Newton boys’ head coach. “Our team has been training well. The guys have encouraged each other as they work through tough swim sets.”

Newton will compete in the North Central Swim Conference meet at the end of the regular season.

“We are having a conference meet at the end of the season for the first time this year, similar to the girls’ teams. It will include the teams of Decorah, Grinnell, Newton, Vinton-Shellsburg and possibly Boone and Oskaloosa,” Hook said. “We do not swim each team in head-to-head competition, but we will swim most of them either in a dual meet or an invitational. Newton should be at the top of the league along with Decorah. It will be an exciting conference meet.”

Newton’s top swimmer from a year ago is back in junior Isaak Webb, who was a district champion in the 200-yard individual medley. Webb holds the Newton individual medley record, 1 minute, 58.43 seconds, which he set taking eighth at state.

Webb also set a new Newton record in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing seventh at state in 53.16 seconds. Webb and senior Jake Lensing are back from the NHS record-setting 200-yard medley relay, 1:38.56, and the 400-yard freestyle relay, 3:18.95. Both were set at the state meet.

“As a team we want to destroy some of the records we set last year, really knock those times down,” Lensing said. “Isaak is very fast this season and comes in with no injuries like he had last year. We’re going to be very fast team this year.”

Lensing said he has being a district champion in the 100 breaststroke on his mind and quailing for state again. He placed second in the event at district last year. Lensing said he is working to get his times down to college level because he’d like to swim on a college team.

Seniors Jeff Fitzgerald, Christian Laube and Brock Southern return for the Cardinals as do juniors Aaron King, and Zach the is. King was the alternate swimmer for the team at state but did not compete.

Others back are sophomores Logan Heisdorffer, Paul Maharry, Reese Rosenquist and Clay Trotter. Hook said he is looking for these four to step into some of the relay roles and contribute to the team.

Newcomers are senior Brandon Miller, junior Chet Adams and freshmen Jacob Knoll, Grant Hamand and Lucas Warner.

Southern is excited about his senior season in the pool and the potential the Cardinal team has for this season.

“We have a lot of good swimmers and I believe we will do well as a team. I’m best at short-distance freestyle races, which are my favorite,” Southern said. “We’re all pushing each other and giving it our all in practices.”

“Brock leads by example. He is a hard worker in the water and will give us strong races in the freestyle and backstroke,” Hook said. “Jeff Fitzgerald has a great work ethic for all of our swimmers to follow also. He is taking on the leadership role for us. He is a strong freestyler and good in the individual medley.”

Fitzgerald said he worked hard over the summer on the individual strokes to become stronger in the 200 individual medley event. He said the thought the Cardinals will have pretty solid relay teams.

“This is a special season as a senior. I want to go out and do well as an individual and I want the team to do well,” Fitzgerald said.

Hook said Laube likes to swim the long distance races which will give the Cardinals a strong swimmer in the 500 freestyle race. King is expected to step in on the relays and work well in the butterfly and backstroke events. Theis will play a big role in the freestyle and breaststroke for the Cardinals, Hook said.

“Isaak is starting out just as strong as he finished last year. We’re looking forward to seeing him break more records this season. He is a positive leader for us.”

Hook said the only concern he has about the team going into the season is the lack of numbers to compete with the larger teams from the CIML and other leagues.

“I look for our team to have an outstanding season. We will try to win at least half of our dual meets as is always the case, and finish in the top half of all our invitationals,” Hook said. “We also expect to do well at the district and state levels. We have a wide talent range of teams in our dual meet schedule so it will be interesting to see how we match up with those other teams.”

Newton opened the season Tuesday against Ankeny and host Southeast Polk. The Cardinals host Oskaloosa and Atlantic on Dec. 4 and hold the Newton Invitational on Dec. 6 at the Newton YMCA.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at 641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com