NCMP Aquagirl foursome prepare for Saturday's state swim meet

Traditions are important. NCMP’s Aquagirls have traditions up and down the line from the preseason, throughout the season and into the postseason.

For the 24th straight season under head coach Sarah Patterson, the Aquagirls have qualifiers for the state swimming meet. NCMP qualified in two events for the 2016 Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union State Swimming and Diving Championships in Marshalltown.

The Aquagirls’ foursome of seniors Emily Miller and Sarah Prendergast and sophomores Lakin Jenkins and Lindsey Blommers will compete in the opening event Saturday, the 200-yard medley relay race. Blommers goes back to the state starting blocks toward the end of the state meet for the 100-yard breaststroke.

Miller and Prendergast are in their second state meet — Miller went on a relay as a sophomore and Prendergast is the lone returning swimmer from last year’s NCMP state contingent. It is the first state meet for Jenkins and Blommers.

“This week is full of fun stuff we do as a team. We have our practices, and we have goal setting for state, but it’s about having a great experience at state,” Prendergast said. “It’s not where we are seeded or what lane we’re in. It’s about how we feel after we’ve swam our race.”

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 2016 Swimming and Diving Meet will be streamed live. A link to the streaming site will be posted on the IGHSAU website — ighsau.org.

The NCMP medley relay is seeded 22nd in the 24-team field. The foursome put together its fastest time of the season, 1 minute 54.22 seconds. It will be in the first heat of the relay race.

Blommers lowered her own NCMP record by almost three seconds in winning her first regional championship in the 100 breaststroke last Saturday. She posted the fastest time in the state this season, 1:04.61, to go in seeded No. 1 at the state meet.

“Our medley relay was seeded 26th going into the regional. All four of the girls made up their minds they were going to drop enough time to qualify for state,” Patterson said. “We had to wait to see if we did qualify. Our goal for the relay is a top 20 finish, which means each one has to find a little more speed.”

Patterson said one of the NCMP state week traditions is going to Pella — Newton/Colfax-Mingo/Pella — one evening to eat and swim in the Pella pool. They did that Wednesday. On Friday, the team heads to Marshalltown to take in some of the state diving competition.

“Emily and Sarah have been before. It is cool they are bringing Lakin and Lindsey on the journey. The four have embraced all of it this week,” Patterson said.

Miller said she and Prendergast will be able to help the relay members relax and get ready for the state meet. Jenkins leads off with the backstroke followed by Blommers in the breaststroke, Miller in the butterfly and Prendergast anchors with the freestyle.

“I was so excited when we learned the relay qualified,” Miller said. “We dropped so much time on the relay at regional. It’s my senior year, and it is something I wanted from the beginning of the season.”

Prendergast said she has anchored every relay race but one this season. She said she clears her mind when she’s up on the block and focuses on the race.

“I was happy to be able to swim one more week to finish my senior year at state,” Prendergast said.

Jenkins has been to the state meet as a spectator. She said she was relieved when they found out the relay made it because she didn’t want Blommers to go to state alone.

“There’s pressure on me leading off, but I just go out to have a good start for the team. We keep working on it and my confidence continues to build,” Jenkins said. “I’m really excited.”

Blommers said she’s felt the pressure of being the No. 1 seed, but with the help of her teammates, coaches, family and friends, she’s looking forward to the state meet. Her parents weren’t at the regional, but other family members recorded her race.

“My parents are proud of me. The overall goal is the same — to drop time,” Blommers said. “I’m just going to go out to do what I do best, focus on my race and have fun. I’m happy the relay made it. We all worked really hard this season.”

Patterson said the focus is to have Blommers to worry only about her game plan for the race. She said Blommers has time goals she has set for herself.

The parade of teams is at noon followed by service and regional awards. The IGHSAU Swimming Hall of Fame presentations are next.

Patterson receives the 2016 IGHSAU Golden Plaque of Distinction Award for swimming prior to the swimming competition getting underway.

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