Barton sets new school record in Newton’s wins over Boone, Carroll

Harper Barton envisioned breaking the school record in the 50-meter freestyle about 100 times in her head.

After closing in on the 10-year-old record toward the end of last year, Barton realized it was a possible goal.

And with one final chance on Tuesday, the Newton senior came through with a record-breaking performance in the team’s final home meet.

Barton’s two individual wins were part of a clean sweep for the Newton girls swim team against Carroll and Boone, too.

“Once that record was capable and feasible in my mind, nothing was going to stop me,” Barton said. “It set in last year that I was getting close. I wasn’t going to be able to live with myself if I didn’t get it. I had one last chance. There will not be another meet. There was no tomorrow.”

Newton defeated Carroll 106-60 and dunked Boone 90.5 to 77.5. The Toreadors also downed Carroll, 93-76, in their matchup.

The Cardinals registered eight overall wins. Barton and Tori White were part of two individual wins, Julia Nedder won the 100 butterfly and Reid McCloud swam to a victory in the 400 freestyle.

Newton also was victorious in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays. It was second to Carroll’s foursome in the 400 freestyle relay.

Barton’s winning time in the 50 freestyle was clocked in 27.11 seconds. McCloud was the overall runner-up in 30.59.

Barton eclipsed previous record holder Samantha Hedrick, who set a mark of 27.54 in 2015.

“Just to finally do it is awesome,” Harper Barton said. “I give all my Glory to God. I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this without Him.”

The first two people to greet Barton after she hit the wall in the 50 freestyle were her younger sister Temple Barton and close friend Tori White.

White’s wins came in the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley, and Temple Barton placed second overall in the 100 and 200 freestyle.

White won the 200 IM in 2 minutes, 41.95 seconds. Alexa Van Maanen was the runner-up in 2:53.25.

The winning time for White in the 100 backstroke was clocked in 1:11.53, while Nedder won the 100 butterfly in 1:19.74 and McCloud took the 400 freestyle in 4:50.89.

Harper Barton’s other win came in the 100 breaststroke. She won the race in 1:16.67 and Van Maanen was the runner-up in 1:27.94.

Harper Barton could have a decision to make at the end of the season choosing which of her three main events to swim at regionals.

She chose the 100 breaststroke in her final home meet and came within less than a second of Lindsey Blommers’ 2018 school record of 1:15.78.

“It was the second time I swam it this year,” Harper Barton said about the breaststroke. “I dropped a second off the last time.”

Temple Barton opened her night with a runner-up finish in the 200 freestyle. She got the win in the matchup with Carroll after posting a time of 2:21.27.

The Cardinal sophomore was second overall and first against Carroll in the 100 freestyle. She posted a time of 1:07.07 in that one.

Emalee Weuve finished third in the matchup with Carroll in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:39.37 and Kimberlee Miller was third against Carroll in the 100 freestyle with a time of 1:12.18.

Weuve, Van Maanen, Nedder and Miller teamed up to win the 200 medley relay in 2:21.47.

The Newton foursome of Brilea Moffitt, Torrie Van Kley, Peyton Phillips and Nilaya McConnell took third against Carroll in 2:47.3.

In the 200 freestyle relay, Harper Barton, White, Temple Barton and McCloud won the race in 1:55.38.

Newton’s other team of Van Maanen, Weuve, Miller and Nedder placed third overall and second against Carroll with a time of 2:11.41.

The Cardinals placed second overall and first against Boone in the 400 freestyle relay with Harper Barton, Temple Barton, White and McCloud. They finished the race in 4:16.89.

“The relays were good. We just have to stay mentally in it and mentally strong,” Harper Barton said. “We can place high at state if we stay dialed in.

“I think the team is in a pretty good spot. We’re under a lot of intense training right now. When we start to taper and slow the training down, I think we’re all going to fly. I’m excited.”