March 29, 2024

NCMP earns split in triangular meet

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JOHNSTON — In the middle of the swimming events, there is a break. It’s for the diving competition.

NCMP’s Morgann Eide took center stage and claimed the top place at Tuesday’s triangular meet with Southeast Polk and host Johnston. Eide amassed 234.90 points to win the 1-meter diving event with teammate Alivia Hoffman placing seventh with a score of 163.90.

“Both ladies were poised and competed very well,” NCMP head coach Sarah Patterson said. “It was fun for the swimmers to see the divers in action as we do not have a board at our pool for home meets.”

The NCMP Aquagirls went 1-1 in action overall Tuesday. Johnston won the meet with 280 points. NCMP was second with 203, which meant the Aquagirls notched a dual win over Southeast Polk, which had 170 points.

“It was a great meet for us overall. We challenged ourselves to go out fast and compete,” Patterson said. “I love to see us swim with heart and finish with courage.”

The Aquagirls opened the meet with a 1-3-4 run in the 200-yard medley relay. The foursome of Sydney Jenkins, Hannah Rhoads, Samantha Hedrick and Alexis Stout won with season’s fastest time of 1 minute, 56.50 seconds.

Freshman Lyndsey Blommers took second place in the 100 breaststroke followed by Rhoads in fourth and Sierra Griffith in sixth.

Jenkins captured third in the 100 backstroke as Sarah Prendergast posted a personal-best time for fourth. Kaelee Knoll finished sixth followed by Lakin Jenkins in seventh and Julia Prime in eighth.

Patterson said scoring went to nine places at the Johnston meet. Placing five swimmers in the top nine, the Aquagirls captured more than half the scoring positions.

Hedrick led the NCMP 200 individual medley swimmers with a third-place finish followed by Rhoads in sixth. Madeline Webb moved to a new event and was seventh in 2:28.27. Sarah Urias dropped 10 seconds from her best time, getting down to 2:49.49, and Jessica Zahn had a best time of 2:35.43.

Stout was fifth in the 50 freestyle, then turned around to post a personal-best time of 1:05.52 for third in the 100 butterfly. Elizabeth Myers was fourth in the butterfly in 1:06.55, and Emily Miller had a breakthrough time of 1:06.65.

Patterson said Lynae Doland, Morgan Altman and Janna Balek had season or personal best times in swimming the 100 butterfly Tuesday.

“They showed good mental toughess,” Patterson said.

“We had some strong swims in the 200 freestyle, including a best time from Erin Van Sickle. Camilla Schlosser swam her first 200 and did very well,” Patterson said. “Overall, this is an event where we have to go out faster, hang on, and really show some grit. We are tentative, backing off, and not showing our best mental toughness. I am confident we can push through in training and make this event shine.”

Webb and Sydney Jenkins cracked the top six in the 100 freestyle race as Webb was third in 57.93 seconds and Jenkins in fifth at 58.47. Jaclyn Michner swam a 1:08.19, which was her best time, and Cheyenne Schaeffer and Miranda Ervin each had personal-best times, Patterson said.

Zahn is only three seconds from dipping under the 6-minute mark in the 500 freestyle, and she placed seventh. Taylor Tremmel posted her best time to a 6:25.13. Willa Colville had a strong showing in her first 500 of the season with a 6:38.57.

Senior Grace Coen competed in her first meet and in her first 500. She broke the 8-minute mark with a 7:59.09. Freshman Mariah Petro swam her first 500 as well, going a 8:52.74.

“Our 200 freestyle relays were solid. There is room for improvement in our starts, streamlines, turns and finishes,” Patterson said.

Stout, Myers, Miller and Hedrick combined to lowered their season time to 1:44.07 for third place. The B-team of Knoll, Prendergast, Griffith and Rhoads was fourth.

In the final event of the night, the Aquagirls competed against the top teams in the state in the 400 freestyle relay. NCMP’s foursome of Hedrick, Sydney Jenkins, Webb and Myers clocked a season-best of 3:46.98 to take third place.

“All four had good swims, but special mention to Elizabeth, who split a 57.02, which is a personal best by about two seconds,” Patterson said. “We are really going to work on racing each other in coming weeks. We have to be ultra prepared to compete as we go up against Dowling and Southeast Polk Tuesday.”

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