April 23, 2024

NCMP Aquagirls swim past Dowling in duel meet

By Jocelyn Sheets

NCMP freshman Lindsay Blommers, seen here at a home meet earlier this season, claimed first place in the varsity 100-yard breaststroke race in a duel meet at Dowling Catholic High School Tuesday. The Aquagirls defeated their hosts, 97-89. (Jocelyn Sheets)

WEST DES MOINES — Sweeping the relay races and winning three individual races laid a strong foundation for NCMP’s Aquagirls Tuesday to upend host Dowling Catholic, 97-89.

“Swimming against Dowling is one of the highlights of the season for us,” NCMP head coach Sarah Patterson said. “We’ve developed a great and fun rivalry with them, and we took it to the limit last night to get the win.”

Sydney Jenkins, Hannah Rhoads, Emily Miller and Alexis Stout set the tone, combining to win the 200-yard medley relay race in 1 minute, 57.96 seconds. NCMP’s B-team of Sarah Prendergast, Sierra Griffith, Elizabeth Myers and Kaelee Knoll placed third in 2:02.76.

“Our A team’s time is exactly where we needed to be. Our B and C team (Lakin Jenkins, Lindsay Blommers, Alex Inskeep and Taylor Tremmel) grabbed fifth with a 2:10.30,” Patterson said.

Just before the diving break, the Aquagirls made a big momentum swing in the water. Samantha Hedrick led a 1-2-3 finish in the 50 freestyle against Dowling. Hedrick won the race in 24.84 seconds followed by Knoll and Myers.

“The 50 free was huge for us. It is not always a strong event for us, so to sweep the top points was incredible. Kaelee had a breakthrough night, swimming her best times all night long.”

Morgann Eide finished second in the 1-meter diving event and Alivia Hoffman was fifth for NCMP.

Madeline Webb and Jessica Zahn were fourth and sixth in the 200 freestyle. Webb posted a season’s best 2:08.49 and Zahn had personal-best 2:13.20.

In the 200 individual medley, Rhoads swam a season-best 2:22 for third. Also notching season-best times were Miller and Griffith, finishing fifth and sixth. Willa Colville was second in the junior varsity race.

Midway through the swimming events, Stout, Miller and Rhoads teamed up with Samantha Hedrick to win the 200 freestyle relay, in 1:43.47. The foursome of Knoll, Alexis DeVries, Blommers and Webb placed third.

Hedrick claimed first in the 100 butterfly in 58.30 seconds with Stout taking third in 1:05.02, and Myers in fifth at 1:07.68.

Blommers, a freshman, won the 100 breaststroke in 1:13.55, overtaking the Dowling girl in the second lap. Rhoads and Griffith, both seniors, finished third and fourth in the event.

Prendergast and Colville had strong swims in the 100 freestyle. Prendergast finished fourth with a personal-best time of 58.48 seconds in the varsity race while Colville placed second in the junior varsity event at 1:04.08.

Patterson said Zahn broke the “magic 6-minute mark” in the 500 freestyle, placing fourth in 6:00.27.

Posting season-best times all around in the 100 backstroke were Sydney Jenkins, Prendergast and Lakin Jenkins. Sydney Jenkins was second followed by Prendergast in fourth and Lakin Jenkins in sixth.

In the final event of the night, NCMP’s junior varsity 400 freestyle relay team of Camilla Schlosser, Erin Van Sickle, Kaitlyn Barnes and Julia Prime won its race.

Webb, Myers, Sydney Jenkins and Hedrick left no doubt in the varsity 400 freestyle relay race. The foursome recorded a winning time of 3:47.26. The B-team of Stout, Prendergast, Zahn and Miller finished third in 3:59.41.

“It was a great meet. The girls and the crowd really got into it, which makes it fun,” Patterson said. “We started the meet up by 10 points, but then it was back and forth. We led, we were tied, we were down, and then we got back in the lead.”

NCMP competes in the West Des Moines Valley High Invitational Saturday.

“We will build on Tuesday night’s momentum and keep going,” Patterson said.

The Aquagirls are home against Atlantic on Oct. 1 at the Newton YMCA.

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