NCMP takes third in Tiger Tanker

WEST DES MOINES — Samantha Hedrick flew through the water on winning pace Saturday, taking the first-place medal in the 100-yard butterfly race at the West Des Moines Valley High Tiger Tanker Invitational. Hedrick’s winning time was 58.09 seconds.

“Samantha’s time was solid, but the next finisher was almost three seconds away, so there was not a lot of immediate competition,” NCMP head coach Sarah Patterson said. “She has been battling some nagging injuries, so we need to get her healthy for training and swimming the rest of the season.”

Hedrick was the lone event winner for the NCMP Aquagirls, but they reached their team goal of finishing in the top three teams at the Tiger Tanker. NCMP took third with 290 points behind Waukee at 399 and Valley at 356.

Dowling Catholic was fourth with 279 points followed by Lewis Central with 202, Atlantic at 200, Linn-Marr with 160, Spencer with 156 and Sioux City Metro with 109 points.

Diving opened the action Saturday morning. NCMP’s Morgann Eide posted her best 11-dive score of 367.6 points to claim the fourth-place medal. The top six finishers in each event were awarded medals. Alivia Hoffman finished 11th with a score of 284.3.

“Morgann took fourth in a stacked field and Alivia dove really well,” Patterson said. “Each girl contributed to our overall team score and helped us place in the top three. All of our relays did well.”

NCMP relays opened and closed the meet with third-place medal performances. In the first swimming event, the Aquagirl 200 medley relay team of Sydney Jenkins, Lindsey Blommers, Hedrick and Alexis Stout posted this season’s fastest time of 1 minute, 55.68 seconds.

The final event is the 400 freestyle relay. NCMP’s Madeline Webb, Elizabeth Myers, Jenkins and Hedrick combined for a season’s fastest time with a 3:46.75.

“Madeline led off with a strong  57.70 split putting us in second place and Elizabeth clocked a 58.26,” Patterson said. “Sydney swam a season-best split of 57.62, even though she felt like she was going to throw up. Samantha anchored with a 53.17 — the fastest split of everyone in the meet.”

Patterson said she thought the NCMP swimmers were tired going into Saturday’s meet from a meet at Dowling earlier in the week and the NHS homecoming activities. She said the 400 freestyle relay was an event where she saw the Aquagirls battle back from a sort of mediocre meet.

“They did not want to go out like lambs, they wanted to go out like lions. I couldn’t be prouder of their tenaciousness all the way until the end — especially since homecoming was on their minds for the evening,” Patterson said.

“This team has been a joy to coach. I also want to give a shout out to coach Chris Forsyth and coach/manager Austin Bunker for making the season fun.”

In between the two relays, NCMP had four individual medal winners along with Hedrick. Hannah Rhoads finished third in the 200 individual medley; Jenkins was fifth in the 100 backstroke; while Lindsey Blommers and Rhoads were fifth and sixth in the 100 breaststroke.

“The breaststroke continues to be an event where we rack up the points. Sierra Griffith was 11th in the event, so that trio scored 33 points for the team,” Patterson said. “Hannah, who is a three-sport athlete, shows grit in making the 200 IM her special event. It is a tough swim.”

In the 100 backstroke, Sarah Prendergast and Lakin Jenkins had personal-best times in the event.

NCMP hosts Atlantic and Williamsburg Thursday at Newton’s YMCA. Competition begins at 5:30 p.m.

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