March 28, 2024

Aquagirls have fun at SEP Ram Relays

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PLEASANT HILL — Southeast Polk’s Ram Relays is not a normal swim meet, which is why NCMP head coach Sarah Patterson enjoys taking the Aquagirls to the annual all-relay meet each season.

“Overall, we had a really good meet tonight. The girls were super fired up and we swam well,” Patterson said after Thursday’s Ram Relays. “We started a little bit behind the 8-ball with a disqualification in the 200 medley relay, but we had many good swims.”

With varsity and junior varsity events, Ram Relays for NCMP is about pool time. There are 11 relays for each division giving each Aquagirl plenty opportunities to swim races against different opponents.

Ankeny won the varsity division with 103 points with Lewis Central in second with 73 points. Atlantic was third with 64 points. Indianola scored one more point than NCMP, 46-45, for fourth and fifth. SEP had 38 points and Des Moines East had 25 points for seventh.

The NCMP junior varsity won two events — 400-yard medley and the 800 freestyle. It had three second-place performances and four third-place finishes in the relays.

Patterson said one of the highlights of the meet came in the 200 breaststroke relay where Lindsey Blommers came from behind and almost won the event for the race. Allison Paulius opened with a 100 leg in 1 minute, 18.02 seconds then Blommers, who is ranked seventh in 100 breaststroke, posted a 1:07.30. NCMP’s duo was second in 2:25.32.

“There were many other good splits. McKenna Brooks went her best time in the 100 freestyle split and Lakin Jenkins had a phenomenal split 100 backstroke and looks great.,” Patterson said. “Jessica Zahn and Natalie Boll had a great 1,000 freestyle relay.”

Zahn and Natalie Boll placed fourth in the 1,000 free in 11:47.99 with near season-bat or personal-best times. Jenkins and Alex Inskeep posted a fourth-place finish in the 200 freestyle in 1:59.54.

“Alex Inskeep continues to be a dominant force for our team. She anchored four relays and swam really well in all of her events,” Patterson said.

Following the setback in the opening event — 400 medley relay — Zahn and Inskeep had a fourth-place swim in the 400 freestyle in 4:24.96. Inskeep anchored the eight-swimmer 400 freestyle for fourth place. Joining her for a 3:45.34 time were Blommers, Jaclyn Michener, Zahn, Erika Van Sickle, Chloe Kibbee, Janna Balek and Abbie Hill.

The Aquagirl varsity finished the night of relays with a fourth-place finish, 8:13.93, in the 800 freestyle. On the relay were Natalie Boll, Zahn, Makenna Brooks, Courtney Dawson, Van Sickle, Rachel Boll, Jenkins and Inskeep.

In the 400 individual medley relay, Natalie Boll and Blommers combined for a 4;56.79 for fifth. Rachel Boll and Michener took fifth in the 100 freestyle in 54.84 seconds, and Rachel Boll and Jenkins were fifth in the 200 backstroke in 2:12.37. Hill and Brooks had a sixth-place swim in the 200 butterfly in 2:24.03.

“We are excited for Senior night on Tuesday night at home against Boone. Would love everybody to come out and cheer on the Aquagirls,” Patterson said.

NCMP hosts Boone at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Newton’s YMCA for Senior Night.

In junior varsity relays —

NCMP’s Molly Coy, Harley Neal, Jaden Hobbs, Emma Thomas, Julia Prime, Bri Teague, Janna Balek and Sarah Urias won the 400 medley relay in 4:37.37. The team of Arabella Eide, Camilla Schlosser, Liv Barnes, Mariah Petro, Kali Smith, Thomas, Prime and Urias won the 800 freestyle in 9:24.97.

Thomas and Hill combined for second in the 100 freestyle in 58.31 seconds, and Neal and Teague took second in the 200 breaststroke in 2:51.47. Also taking second was the 400 freestyle team of Petro, Brooke McNeer, Hobbs, Jordon Pritchard, JoJo Brown, Delaney Nasalroad, Miranda Ervin and Kinzi Van Wyk in 4:34.89.

Eide and Allison Paulius took third in the 400 individual medley in 5:23.15, and Balek and Kibbee were third in the 200 butterfly in 2:34.13. Coy and Prime placed third in the 200 backstroke in 2:33.38 and Eide and Courtney Dawson were third in the 1,000 freestyle in 12:44.19.

Van Sickle combined with Dawson for fourth in the two-swimmer 400 freestyle in 4:37.20. Barnes and Urias took fourth in the 200 freestyle in 2:15.06.

“Senior Sarah Urias had personal-best splits in her 100 of the 200 freestyle. Senior Julia Prime  had a season-best in her 100 backstroke,” Patterson said.