March 28, 2024

NCMP cruises past Oskaloosa

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The NCMP Aquagirls had a lot of fun in the pool Tuesday night.

NCMP went head-to-head against a short-handed Oskaloosa team and dominated almost every event on its way to a 125-35 victory.

The Aquagirls won all but one event, finished 1-2-3 in five events and were at least 1-2 in seven more.

Three different swimmers — Alex Inskeep, Lakin Jenkins and Lindsey Blommers — were a part of four victories each.

“It was a fun meet. There wasn’t a lot of pressure tonight,” NCMP coach Sarah Patterson said. “We have some things we still need to work on, but the kids know that. There were a lot of good things tonight, too.”

Oskaloosa competed with only 12 swimmers. So the winner was pretty much known before the 200 medley relay kicked off. The Indians managed to take the top spot in the 100-meter freestyle, but the Aquagirls were 2-3-4 in that event as well.

“It was a fun meet. I know the Oskaloosa girls too so it was nice to see us all swim well,” Inskeep said. “It’s good motivation for our team moving forward.”

Inskeep, Jenkins and Blommers all won two individual events and were part of two winning relays.

Inskeep won the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly, Jenkins was the victor in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke and Blommers claimed victories in the 100 breaststroke the 50 freestyle.

The other individual winner on the night was Natalie Boll. She won the 400 freestyle. Boll also was second in the 200 freestyle, and Jessica Zahn and Jaclyn Michener were part of two winning relay teams.

“Alex swam great in 100 fly tonight, and Lindsey continues to impress in her breaststroke and her 50,” Patterson said. “Natalie Boll swam great in her 200 and 400. Rachel (Boll) had her best time in the backstroke. Lakin swam well, too. She looks really smooth this year, and I am excited to see how she finishes the season.”

There were not very many personal-best times on the night. But that was to be expected, according to Patterson, who said the team worked super hard in practice the past few days.

“We practiced really hard Saturday and both practices yesterday were really hard,” Patterson said. “We also practiced this morning so the girls are a little fatigued, and they should be at this point in the season.

“There won’t be a lot of season-best times right now. They just have to know that that stuff will work its way back around. They’ll be a pay off in the end.”

The Aquagirls began the night with a 1-2-4 finish in the 200 medley relay. The winning team of Jenkins, Blommers, Mackenna Brooks and Michener stopped the clock at 2 minutes, 14.58 seconds.

Inskeep and Natalie Boll had quite the battle in the 200 freestyle. Inskeep won the race in 2:28.26, which was .08 seconds faster than Boll in second.

Jenkins won the 200 IM with a time of 2:48.43, and Blommers won the 50 freestyle in 29.84. Michener and Abbie Hill finished 2-3 in 31.94 and 32.45, respectively.

The Aquagirls also were 1-2-3 in the 100 butterfly. Inskeep’s winning time was 1:15.6, while Brooks finished in 1:18.42 and Paulius was clocked at 1:28.62.

Oskaloosa’s Veronica Bolibaugh won the 100 freestyle in 1:07.55, but Courtney Dawson was the runner-up in 1:08.72.

Natalie Boll won the 400 freestyle in 5:13.77, Blommers won the 100 breaststroke in 1:16.95 and Jenkins claimed the victory in the 100 backstroke in 1:16.59.

The 200 freestyle relay winners were Blommers, Zahn, Michener and Inskeep. They hit the wall in 2:01.89. The 400 freestyle relay included Natalie Boll, Zahn, Jenkins and Inskeep, and they won the race in 4:30.24.

“I am really working on my mental strategy,” Patterson said. “I have had a big mental block the past few years so getting over that and pushing myself over that block is what I am trying to go for right now.”

Inskeep isn’t the only NCMP swimmer battling through mental blocks at this point in the season.

“We are a time driven sport, and when you look up and don’t see a season-best time or if you don’t go as fast as you think, it can be discouraging,” Patterson said. “It can weigh on your mind and you have to find a way to put that on hold and keep pushing through.

“We have to stay positive. You can’t get down on yourself in any sport. That’s never going to end well.”

The NCMP junior varsity defeated Oskaloosa 136-8. Mariah Petro was part of three wins. Kali Smith, Molly Coy, Brooke McNeer and Liv Barnes were all winners of two races.

Varsity

NCMP 125, Oskaloosa 35

200-m medley relay: 1. NCMP (Lakin Jenkins, Lindsey Blommers, Mckenna Brooks, Jaclyn Michener), 2:14.58; 2. NCMP (Sarah Urias, Allison Rawlins, Janna Balek, Abbie Hill), 2:29.62; 4. NCMP (Julia Prime, Liv Barnes, Bri Teague, Emma Thomas), 2:38.06.

200-m freestyle: 1. Alex Inskeep, 2:28.26, 2. Natalie Boll, 2:28.34, 4. Chloe Kibbee, 2:48.03.

200-m individual medley: 1. Jenkins, 2:48.43, 3. R. Boll, 3:01.60, 4. Arabella Eide, 3:03.97.

50-m freestyle: 1. Blommers, 29.84, 2. Michener, 31.94, 3. Hill, 32.45.

100-m butterfly: 1. Inskeep, 1:15.60, 2. Brooks, 1:18.42, 3. Paulius, 1:28.62.

100-m freestyle: 2. Courtney Dawson, 1:08.72, 3. Erika Van Sickle, 1:09.42, 4. Eide, 1:12.84.

400-m freestyle: 1. Natalie Boll, 5:13.77, 3. Molly Coy, 6:00.89.

200-m freestyle relay: 1. NCMP (Blommers, Zahn, Michener, Inskeep), 2:01.89.

100-m backstroke: 1. Jenkins, 1:16.79, 2. Rachel Boll, 1:17.45, 3. Zahn, 1:26.07.

100-m breastroke: 1. Blommers, 1:16.95, 2. Paulius, 1:26.28, 3. Zahn, 1:34.81.

400-m freestyle relay: 1. NCMP (Natalie Boll, Zahn, Jenkins, Inskeep), 4:30.24, 2. NCMP (Van Sickle, Brooks, Rachel Boll, Dawson), 4:42.72, 3. NCMP (Thomas, Hill, Prime, Eide), 5:02.87.

Junior Varsity

NCMP 136, Oskaloosa 8

200-m medley relay: 1. NCMP (Coy, Delaney Nasalroad, Mariah Petro, Brooke McNeer), 2:51.43, 2. NCMP (Camilla Schlosser, Molly Lamb, Miranda Ervin, Kinzi Van Wyk), 3:12.34, 3. NCMP (Hanna Clark, Dawson, JoJo Brown, GD Duong), 3:31.59.

200-m freesytle: 1. Jordan Pritchard, 3:15.42, 2. Kali Smith, 3:21.45.

200-m individual medley: 1. Petro, 3:31.42, 2. Nasalroad, 3:42.62, 3. McNeer, 3:45.87.

50-m freestyle: 1. Schlosser, 36.06, 2. Van Wyk, 38.47, 3. Ervin 43.33; exihbition: Duong 54.25, Hanna Clark 53.41.

100-m butterfly: 1. Liv Barnes, 1:43.30, 2. Pritchard, 1:45.68.

100-m freestyle: 1. Balek 1:13.94, 2. Thomas, 1:15.83, 3. Lamb, 1:28.26.

400-m freetyle: 1. Kali Smith, 6:53.92, 2. Ervin 7:36.28, 3. Brown, 7:39.39.

200-m freestyle relay: 1. NCMP (Paulius, Balek, Barnes, Thomas), 2:16.45, 2. NCMP (Teague, Hobbs, McNeer, Van Wyk, 2:34.03.

100-m backstroke: 1. Prime, 1:27.73, 2. Schlosser, 1:33.02, 3. Clark, 2:03.48.

100-m breaststroke: 1. Teague, 1:37.11, 2. Nasalroad, 1:50.92, 3. Lamb, 1151.68.

400-m freestyle relay: 1. NCMP (Petro, McNeer, Smith, Coy), 5:45.18, 2. NCMP (Pritchard, Ervin, Brown, Hobbs), 6:27.43.