April 26, 2024

Aquagirls three-peat as LHC champs

By Jocelyn Sheets
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Winning the 2018 Little Hawkeye Conference varsity 100-yard backstroke was NCMP senior Lakin Jenkins. Jenkins had placed second as a sophomore, third as a junior in the event. She also swam on the Aquagirls’ three LHC championship relays at the conference meet on Tuesday at Indianola’s YMCA. (Jocelyn Sheets)

INDIANOLA — United We Swim. That’s the 2018 NCMP Aquagirls’ motto.

They swam united on Tuesday to capture NCMP’s third straight Little Hawkeye Conference championship. The Aquagirls won every swimming event — 11 — and the diving event in the varsity division.

NCMP rolled up 488 points for its victory. Indianola was second with 384 points followed by Grinnell with 225 and Oskaloosa with 161 points.

“Our goal was to collect two tiaras — winning the North Central Iowa Conference meet and the Little Hawkeye Conference! And, we did it,” NCMP head coach Sarah Patterson said. “We had so many good performances on the night.”

NCMP’s junior varsity claimed its third consecutive division championship. The Aquagirl junior varsity won nine of 11 swimming events to collect 477.5 points. Indianola was second with 146.5 points followed by Oskaloosa with 36 points and Grinnell with 17 points.

Lindsey Blommers wrapped up an undefeated regular season in the 100-yard backstroke. The senior is NCMP’s three-time LHC champion in the event, winning Tuesday’s race in 1 minute, 8.48 seconds — four seconds ahead of the second-place finisher from Indianola.

Senior Alex Inskeep defended her LHC 200 freestyle title in a dramatic race. She out-touched Indianola’s Kinsli Cram to win in 2:09.59 to Cram’s 2:09.73.

Sophomore Natalie Boll is a two-time champion in the LHC meet in the 500 freestyle. She pulled away from the field and won in a season’s best 5:54.63.

Alivia Hoffman, a senior, gave NCMP its first LHC diving champion. She scored 219.40 points to claim the title on Tuesday.

“Alivia notched a personal best score in winning the diving. She looked fantastic and very confident,” Patterson said. “Great job to her and shout-out to her diving coaches.”

Inskeep and freshman Hannah Nedder were NCMP’s two individual double winners of the night.

Inskeep led a 1-2-3 finish for the Aquagirls in the 100 freestyle just ahead of junior Erika Van Sickle, 59.15 seconds to 59.92 seconds. Freshman Alexa Gaylor was third in 1:00.49.

Nedder became the third 50 freestyle LHC champion for the Aquagirls. She beat Blommers to the wall in 25.77 seconds to Blommers’ 26.00 for second. Freshman Maggie Garrett was fifth in 27.38.

After the diving event, Nedder dominated the 100 butterfly race in a winning time of 1:00.72. NCMP sophomores Makenna Brooks and Chloe Kibbee were fourth and fifth, respectively, in 1:01.43 and 1:14.53.

“Alex Inskeep and Hannah were also on two first-place relays. Hannah’s two individual title and being on two relays is quite an accomplishment for a freshman,” Patterson said. “Lindsey had a solid time in winning the breaststroke. We are looking forward to good competition at the district meet.”

After finishing second as sophomore and third as a junior, NCMP senior Lakin Jenkins captured the LHC 100 backstroke crown. Jenkins’ winning time was 1:03.94 with senior Rachel Boll placing third in 1:07.60. Junior Molly Coy was seventh in 1:16.82.

“Lakin went a season’s best in winning the race and swam a perfect race,” Patterson said. “She took it out and just kept going for it. And, Rachel had a very smooth race and a best time.”

Junior Kenzie VanMaanen won the LHC 200 individual medley title in 2:28.83, which was a drop in time for her. Junior Allison Paulius was second in 2:32.77 and sophomore Arabella Eide took sixth in 2:42.98.

VanMaanen was third in the 100 breaststroke in 1:14.99 and Paulius was fourth in 1:16.10. Sophomore Natalie Boll placed third in the 200 freestyle in 2:12.09 and Van Sickle was fourth in 2:14.47.

In the 500 freestyle, freshman Lauren Zaabel placed fourth in 6:09.46, a personal best time. Junior Abbie Hill was seventh in 6:22.11.

“I liked how our 500 swimmers looked Tuesday night. Lauren Zaabel, freshman, went a personal best time in the event as did Mariah Petro, a senior and Abbie,” Patterson said. “Arabella Eide also had a good swim, winning the JV event. Mariah also went a best time in the junior varsity 200 IM.”

Starting things off for the Aquagirls and setting the tone was the foursome of Jenkins, Blommers, Nedder and Gaylor in winning the 200 medley relay in dominating time of 1:56.31. NCMP’s team of Rachel Boll, VanMaanen, Brooks and Garrett took third in 2:02.62.

NCMP claimed its third straight LHC championship in the 200 freestyle relay race. Blommers, Nedder, Jenkins and Inskeep combined for a five-second win over Indianola, in 1:45.93. The Aquagirl tam of Brooks, freshman Grace Benson, Garrett and Gaylor took third in 1:51.13.

Winning the LHC 400 freestyle relay title for the first time, NCMP put the finishing touches on the sweep Tuesday night. Inskeep led it off followed by Natalie Boll and Van Sickle with Jenkins anchoring it to a 3:58.94 and victory.

The NCMP team of Gaylor, Zaabel, junior Courtney Dawson and Brooks took second in the 400 freestyle relay in 4:09.40.

NCMP junior varsity individual champions were senior Rachel Boll in the 50 freestyle, senior Camilla Schlosser in the 100 backstroke, Zaabel in the 200 freestyle, Benson in the 100 freestyle, Eide in the 500 freestyle and Garrett in the 100 breaststroke. Seniors Mariah Petro and Delaney Nasalroad were second and third in the 200 individual medley and Petro was second in the 500 freestyle.

“Maggie Garrett had a terrific season, dropping crazy fast splits in the 50 free and then winning the JV 100 breast Tuesday and dropping two more seconds,” Patterson said. “Grace Benson, also a freshman won the JV 100 freestyle with a personal best time — what a great kid and a worker.”

Patterson said Courtney Dawson, junior, had fantastic relay splits as did Gaylor. Molly Coy had a personal best 50-back split and sophomore Hailey Trease hit two goal times on Tuesday, Patterson said. Trease broke 30 seconds in the 50 free — twice and then went a 1:05 in the 100 freestyle.

NCMP won all three junior varsity relays.

NCMP prepares for the regional swim meet which is a noon on Oct. 27 at Grinnell. The regional diving competition is at 5 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Grinnell.

Here are the NCMP JV results at the LHC meet:

200-yd medley relay: 1. NCMP (Molly Coy, Paulius, Kibbee, Dawson), 2:06.78, 2. NCMP (Trease, Benson, Hunter, Thomas), 2:15.20

200-yd freestyle: 1. Lauren Zaabel, 2:18.32, 2. Emily Mills, 2:34.94, 3. Lilly Busch, 3:02.

200-yd IM: 2. Mariah Petro, 2:54.42, 3. Delaney Nasalroad, 3:03.60, 4. Jordon Pritchard, 3:26.37.

50-yd freestyle: 1. Rachel Boll, 27.62, 2. Courtney Dawson, 27.95, 4. (tie) Grace Benson, 28.59.

100-yd butterfly: 2. Kathryn VanManen, 1:20.78, 3. Jaden Hunter, 1:20.84.

100-yd freestyle: 1. Benson, 1:03.73, 2. Hailey Trease, 1:05.50, 3. Emma Thomas, 1:06.12.

500-yd freestyle: 1. Arabella Eide, 6:26.10, 2. Petro, 6:45.96, 3. Dani Dalasta, 6:55.10

200-yd freestyle relay: 1. NCMP (Thomas, Liv Barnes, Kibbee, Dawson), 1:56.97, 3. NCMP (VanManen, Nasalroad, Mills, Trease), 2:07.21.

100-yd backstroke: 1. Camilla Schlosser, 1:25.75, 2. Maggie Williams, 1:31.57, 3. Ellie Caldwell, 1:34.81.

100-yd breaststroke: 1. Maggie Garrett, 1:18.64, 2. Kallie VanKley, 1:27.20, 3. Nasalroad, 1:29.20.

400-yd freestyle relay: 1. NCMP (Petro, Eide, Hill, Coy), 4:36.59, 2. NCMP (Hunter, Pritchard, Kali Smith, Dalasta), 5:11.78.

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