Aquagirls to compete in state diving, swimming meet

Newton/Colfax-Mingo/Pella’s Aquagirls have a tradition of qualifying for state swimming competition. There’s been a representative from NCMP at the state meet for 23 straight years under head coach Sarah Patterson.

Patterson and long-time assistant coach Chris Forsyth guide seven swimmers and one diver toward and through Friday and Saturday’s 2015 Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union State Swimming and Diving Championships in Marshalltown. NCMP has three state meet veteran swimmers and five first-time state competitors in four swimming events and the diving event.

Seniors Samantha Hedrick and Sydney Jenkins are headed to their fourth straight state meet while senior Hannah Rhoads makes a third consecutive trip to state. Newcomers are senior Elizabeth Myers, junior Sarah Prendergast and sophomores Alexis Stout and Madeline Webb in swimming and sophomore Morgann Eide in diving.

“We’re so happy to have this group going to state with the girls who’ve never qualified before,” Patterson said. “We’ve always focused on having a great family-type atmosphere surrounding our team. To have the five newcomers go to state with these three seniors is great because Samantha, Hannah and Sydney will help the others do well and enjoy the state meet experience.”

The IGHSAU State Diving and Swimming Championship meet is at the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA.

The state diving is at 5 p.m. Friday with doors opening to the public at 4 p.m. The state swimming events begin at noon Saturday with the doors opening to the public at 11 a.m.

Admission to each session is $10, students and adults. Spectators are allowed entrance into the YMCA-YWCA’s gymnasium at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The 2015 Swimming & Diving Meet will be streamed live. A link to the streaming site will be posted on the IGHSAU website — ighsau.org.

Hedrick leads the NCMP contingent swimming in four events. She has the fastest time going into the meet in the 100-yard butterfly, which she finished second in last year at state. Hedrick posted the second-fastest qualifying time in the 200-yard freestyle race.

Hedrick qualified with Jenkins, Rhoads and Stout in the 200 freestyle relay. Joining Hedrick in the 400 freestyle relay race will be Prendergast, Webb and Myers.

“I would love to be the state butterfly champion. I set my goals on being back at state. I really want to do well in that race,” Hedrick said. “The 200 free is a whole different mind set to swim it. I’m ready to swim my race and see how it comes out.”

Hedrick holds six individual — yards and meters — NCMP records and has been on six school-record holding relay teams in her four years. She lowered the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly marks she already held in last week’s regional meet.

“Sam is such competitor. It has been a journey these four years. I saw her mature as a competitor last year,” Patterson said. “She has taken more responsibility for her training, which is what a coach wants to see. Sam has embraced the pressure this season and knows what it will take to reach her goals.”

Leading off the 200 freestyle relay at the regional, Hedrick claimed the NCMP 50-yard freestyle record in 24.32 seconds. The former record was 24.36 set by Emily Bensink in 2003.

“Swimming relays is all about team,” Hedrick said. “Yes, I normally anchor the relays this season, but the coaches changed the lineup. They wanted to have me get us out there early and we knew the other girls would hold it , and they did.”

Patterson said Hedrick was moved to the leadoff spot in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays “to get us to open water and get us out there.” She said Hedrick pushed the 200 out front and everybody followed suit.

“Alexis has been one of our top relay swimmers all season long. Sydney and Hannah have state relay experience. At regionals, they girls were determined to battle and drop time to qualify for the state meet. We’re very proud of both of our relays, because it shows the commitment of each of the girls to pull together to get the a faster time.”

Rhoads said she enjoyed her leg of the 200 relay, which was the anchor. She said the four girls knew this was their last shot to get to state, and went for it.

“When I was in the water, I felt like I was on top of the water. I was tapered and ready to go. Yes, we’ll be ready to go at state. We’re perfecting our strokes this week,” Rhoads said. “It’s definitely an honor and a fun experience with your teammates to go to state. We’ve set our goal high — going after the school record which is a second faster than our regional time.”

Jenkins had been to state as part of the medley and 400 relays the past three years. This season it is the 200 free relay.

“It’s new for me, but I always wanted to swim on it,” Jenkins said. “Those of us on the medley relay were disappointed to know we’re probably not reach state. We were determined to get there in the 200 free relay. At state, I’m reaching for a low 25-second split and just having fun.”

Stout said she’s excited and nervous going to her first state meet. She is looking to post a split of 25.5 seconds or lower.

“On my turn at regional, I was a little deep, and it slowed me down. I working to not be too deep or too shallow, you know, find that perfect medium depth on my turn at state,” Stout said. “This whole week has been so much fun. I’m ready to step up on the block and have a do my best at state for my teammates.”

There was a different order for the 400 freestyle really with Hedrick leading off followed by Prendergast, Webb and Stout.

“Sam did what we wanted her to do after a long meet for her. Sarah, Madeline and Elizabeth swam so well. Sarah and Madeline had personal-best times in their 100 splits. I’ve been coaching Elizabeth since she was little. To see her dream come true as a senior is tremendous. Her smile all day Saturday was one of those why-I-coach moments for me,” Patterson said.

“I’m really excited and a little nervous,” Stout said. “I have been swimming second all season and now I’m anchoring the relay. I knew at regional I had to go fast. It was exciting. I just want to have fun, enjoy the experience with my teammates and swim my best.”

Prendergast said she thought regional went well for the relay team even after it was in the outer lane.

“We huddled up and encouraged each other. We knew we had to swim fast,” Prendergast said. “I’m treating the state like it is any other meet to help curtail my nervousness.”

Webb has experience swimming at big competitions. She said she has been swimming for 11 years and has experience at the club level in big meets.

“This is my first time to high school state, so I’m excited,” Webb said. “This week is about resting your body, enjoying the experience with a select group of girls and getting to know the coaches better. My goal at the beginning of the season was to get in the 55s, which I did at regional. To go 55.2 again or under it would be great at state.”

It all starts Friday when Eide hits the diving board for the 11-dive event. Eide had the 13th-highest qualifying score coming out of the regionals last week.

“I’m trying to get a higher score overall and work through all the rounds,” Eide said of her goal for the state meet. “I felt comfortable and confident in the dive lineup I had for regional. I’m hoping to throw in a couple more difficult dives for state to raise my score. It’s about cleaning up and sharpening my dives this week.”

Patterson said Eide has done well all season in diving competitions. Eide is the first NCMP diver to qualify since 2011, but the team just reinstated diving in 2014 when Patterson found Kelly Rose in Grinnell, who is the team’s diving coach. NCMP divers have to practice at Grinnell, because Newton doesn’t have a regulation diving board at the YMCA.

“I don’t think Morgann understands what a big deal it is to go to the state diving meet. She has done so well this year, and she’ll realize the honor when she gets there. Her hard work has paid off and she needs to just do as well as she can and enjoy it,” Patterson said.

“I love where we’re seeded in the swim events. We have good spots — the middle lanes. We’ve been talking about visualizing things in the pool to be ready for everything. We’re excited.”

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