March 29, 2024

Aquagirls swim in home waters

NCMP’s Aquagirls lived up to their 2019 team motto — here for a reason. The Aquagirls knew going into their home opener on Thursday things were stacked against them

NCMP hosted third-ranked Ankeny, a combined team of swimmers from Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial, and it was not going to get a team victory in the Newton YMCA pool. But the Aquagirls didn’t back down.

“The girls embraced the competition. We talked about coming into the meet that we were going to use them to race and to reveal places where we need to work,” NCMP head coach Sarah Patterson said.

Ankeny powered past NCMP, 120-50, in varsity races. In the junior varsity division, Ankeny won 122-46.

“The final score does not reflect how competitive this meet was,” Patterson said.

NCMP had one individual event winner in Hannah Nedder. Nedder took charge of the 100-meter butterfly to win in 1 minute, 9.10 seconds.

Patterson pointed to the 100 breaststroke, which was next to last in the meet, as a “fun one to watch.”

NCMP’s Kenzie VanMaanen got out-touched by Ankeny’s Alexis Henning — 1:23.53 to 1:23.87. And NCMP’s Allison Paulius was fourth in 1:24.76 to beat Ankeny’s Jasmine Rumley, who is a nationally ranked freestyle swimmer.

“Tonight was rough because it was Ankeny but we went out and swam our hearts out,” senior Erika Van Sickle said. “We’ve been working hard this season and it’s showing up in our times.”

Van Sickle said since their first home meet was canceled in late August, it was nice to finally swim at home.

NCMP finished second in the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay. It was third in the 400 freestyle relay.

Nedder was second in the 50 freestyle. Lillie Ray and Lauren Zaabel went 2-3 in the 100 freestyle.

The lone event win by the NCMP junior varsity was by Paulius in the 100 freestyle in 1:09.38.

NCMP hosts Fairfield and Oskaloosa at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Newton YMCA.

NCMP Varsity Results

200-m medley relay: 2. NCMP (Maylei Ruggles, VanMaanen, Nedder, Ray), 2:11.80.

200-m freestyle: 3. Van Sickle, 2:27.91, 5. Zaabel, 2:29.43.

200-m IM: 3. Ruggles, 2:47.07, 5. Maggie Garrett, 2:47.80.

50-m freestyle: 2. Nedder, 28.75, 5. Garrett, 31.59.

100-m butterfly: 1. Nedder, 1:09.10, 5. Makenna Brooks, 1:24.45.

100-m freestyle: 2. Ray, 1:03.05, 3. Zaabel, 1:07.24.

400-m freestyle: 4. Natalie Boll, 5:24.19, 5. Van Sickle, 5:25.11.

200-m freestyle relay: 2. NCMP (Nedder, Courtney Dawson, Zaabel, Ray), 2:00.30.

100-m backstroke: 4. Ruggles, 1:19.10, 5. Chloe Kibbee, 1:28.14.

100-m breaststroke: 2. VanMaanen, 1:23.87, 4. Paulius, 1:24.76.

400-m freestyle relay: 3. NCMP (Zaabel, Van Sickle, Ruggles, Ray), 4:27.60.

NCMP JV Results

200-m medley relay: 2. NCMP (Emily VanderMolen, Kallie Van Kley, Abbie Hill, Hailey Trease), 2:34.25.

200-m freestyle: 4. Emily Mills, 2:53.74, 5. Dani Dalasta, 2:54.25.

200-m IM: 4. Molly Coy, 3:22.33, 5. Ellie Wogen, 3:34.63.

50-m freestyle: 2. Emma Thomas, 31.98, 5. Trease, 34.78.

100-m butterfly: 3. Kathryn Van Manen, 1:34.14, 4. Jordon Pritchard, 1:43.76.

100-m freestyle: 1. Paulius, 1:09.38, 4. VanderMolen, 1:23.06, 5. Maggie Williams, 1:27.66.

400-m freestyle: 4. Hill, 5:48.22, 5. Dalasta, 6:10.84.

200-m freestyle relay: 3. NCMP (Trease, Skyler Gooden, Kya Butler, Hill), 2:25.87.

100-m backstroke: 2. VanderMolen 1:34.63, 3. Ellie Caldwell, 1:37.03, 4. Williams, 1:38.82.

100-m breaststroke: 4. Van Kley, 1:35.84, 5. Wogen, 1:55.46.

400-m freestyle relay: 3. NCMP (Mills, Van Manen, Caldwell, Trease), 5:21.33.

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