March 29, 2024

Webb breaks long-standing Newton butterfly record

Newton wins two of three duals in home opener

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Isaak Webb knew the record was up on the wall. He knew it was something he was aiming for every time he took to the water in a Newton High swim meet.

“It was a goal of mine to get that record, but I really didn’t set out to break it tonight,” Webb said of his record-setting win in the 100-meter butterfly race Thursday in Newton’s home opening swim meet at the Newton YMCA.

“I just went out and was swimming smoothly tonight in all my races. I wanted it, but didn’t think about it happening in the first home meet of the season.”

Webb, who holds the NHS 100-yard butterfly record, dropped a 27-year-old mark in the 100-meter butterfly. Webb won the race in 1 minute, 00.97 seconds, which bettered the old standard of 1:01.18 set by Chris Shaffer in 1987.

Newton’s Cardinals captured two team wins out of three duals conducted Thursday. The Cardinals decked Oskaloosa 77-14 and rolled past Atlantic 68-25. Boone defeated Newton 56-38 plus had wins over Oskaloosa (82-10) and Atlantic (72-21).

“The meet went great tonight,” said Dave Hook, Newton head coach. “The kids swam well and we had a lot of good times. We had a lot of good competition with these three teams here. I was really pleased with the way our kids swam.”

The Cardinals opened the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay race. The foursome of Webb, Jake Lensing, Reese Rosenquist and Jeff Fitzgerald combined to win in 1:57.13. Clay Trotter, Karl Recknagel, Zach Theis and Paul Maharry turned in a third-place finish in the race in 2:13.60.

Webb notched the win in the 200 freestyle in 2:07.25 with Theis taking fifth in 2:33.06. Lensing captured first in the 100 breaststroke near the end of the meet in 1:12.54, beating Brayden Biersner of Boone by more than six seconds.

Lensing took second in the 200 individual medley in 2:31.47 and Maharry was sixth in 3:05.75. Maharry placed third in the 100 breaststroke in 1:28.07.

Fitzgerald and Clay Trotter went 3-4 in the 50 freestyle in 27.35 seconds and 28.18 seconds, respectively. Fitzgerald also placed third in the 100 freestyle in 1:01.90 with Trotter finishing fifth in 1:06.74.

Aaron King competed in four of the final five events at the meet. It all started with the 400 freestyle, which King led early, but finished second in 5:02.82. Logan Heisdorffer was fifth in 5:54.43. Then King swam on the 200 freestyle relay team, the 100 backstroke and had a quick break for the breaststroke races then up again in the 400 freestyle relay.

“I started out well in the 400 then toward the end I started losing my kick and had less energy,” King said. “It took a lot of energy to swim those four events down the stretch and a lot focus to do. I felt as as a team we gave it our all tonight and did our best. We had some good competition here to push us.”

In the backstroke, King was just out-touched by Oskaloosa’s Jack Miller (1:12.03) and took third in 1:12.62. Theis was seventh in 1:30.67. King combined with Fitzgerald, Trotter and Rosenquist for third in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:54.65. Brock Southern, Heisdorffer, Jacob Knoll and Maharry finished in fifth at 2:01.64.

The 400 relay team of King, Webb, Theis and Lensing was second in 4:11.84. Newton’s other foursome of Heisdorffer, Rosenquist, Southern and Knoll placed fifth in 4:41.95.

Knoll had two wins in junior varsity races. He won the 50 freestyle in 29.33 and the 100 freestyle in 1:09.85. Recknagel took first in the junior varsity 100 breaststroke in 1:32.85 and was third in the 200 freestyle in 3:14.50. Chet Adams was second in the 100 backstroke in 1:51.08.

Newton hosts the Newton Invitational Saturday starting at 10 a.m. at the Newton YMCA. Teams joining Newton are Grinnell, Oskaloosa, Decorah, Vinton-Shellsburg and Indianola.

“We’re looking forward to Saturday’s competition,” Hook said. “I’m expecting to have another good outing by the kids.”

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