Aquagirl relays seek big day in state pool

Last season ended in a way nobody affiliated with the Newton-Colfax-Mingo-Pella girls swim team could have ever imagined.

Pella senior Hannah Nedder and junior Maylei Ruggles both qualified for last year’s state swim meet but had their season cut short due to COVID-19.

Newton junior Lillie Ray and senior Maggie Garrett weren’t even able to approach the finish line after the school district went to online learning a few days prior to the regional meet.

So in a sense, this fall has been a bit of a redemption tour for the Aquagirls, who will compete in all three relays on Saturday at the Marshalltown YMCA.

“It’s bittersweet. I am grateful to be here with these girls and do what we couldn’t do last year, but it will bring back a few sad memories from last year,” said Ray, who will be part of all three relays. “I think it makes me 100 times more grateful though.”

NCMP enters the Iowa High School Girls State Swimming Championships seeded in the top 13 of all three relays.

The 400 freestyle relay sits 10th after the foursome of Nedder, freshman Peyton Ray, Lillie Ray and Ruggles set a new school record at the regional meet.

The goals for the Aquagirls on Saturday vary from setting more school records, improving on their seeded position and finding a way to earn a spot on the podium.

“I have never had a relay get on the podium,” said NCMP head coach Sarah Patterson, who has led the program for the past three decades. “That would be the pinnacle as far as goals for the relays go. A top-six finish would be amazing. These girls have the chance, the drive and the excitement to do it.”

Lillie Ray, senior Alexa Heiar, Nedder and Ruggles all will compete in individual preliminary events on Friday hoping to get to Saturday’s final round.

The relays will be timed finals on Saturday. Competition on Friday begins at 5 p.m. and Saturday’s slate starts at noon. The top six finishers in each event earn a spot on the podium.

“It’s been two years since I have gotten the chance to swim at state so it feels almost like I am getting to do it for the first time again,” Nedder said. “This year is definitely going to be me leaving it all out there to make up for last year.”

Nedder and Lillie Ray are on all three relay teams. Ruggles and Heiar will be on two of the relays and Garrett and Peyton Ray are each on one. Seniors Grace Benson and Lauren Zaabel are the team’s two alternates.

The 400 freestyle relay team of Nedder, Peyton Ray, Lillie Ray and Ruggles swam a school-record time of 3 minutes, 38.26 seconds to secure the 10th best qualifying time.

The Aquagirls will be in Lane 5 of the third heat in the state meet’s final race.

“It doesn’t feel real yet. I’m glad I get to be part of the state team. It’s been a fun first year,” Peyton Ray said. “(My sister and I) have talked about what state will be like. She’s trying to prepare me for it.”

It will the first state meets for Peyton Ray and Heiar.

Heiar will swim the breaststroke leg of the 200 medley relay and she opens the 200 freestyle relay.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it. I am very excited to go state in the two relays and also to be in an individual event,” Heiar said.

The 200 medley relay features Ruggles (backstroke), Heiar (breaststroke), Nedder (butterfly) and Lillie Ray (freestyle) and their qualifying time of 1:50.68 was 13th best in the state.

The foursome was .34 seconds off the 10th best time and they will swim in Lane 2 of the third heat.

“Our biggest goal is to break the two other school records,” Lillie Ray said. “We also want to make podium. That would be awesome.”

The 200 freestyle relay team includes Heiar, Garrett, Lillie Ray and Nedder. That foursome turned in a 1:39.68, which was the 11th fastest qualifying time. They were .31 seconds off eighth.

“One goal is to get that school record and then we want to place as high as we can and move up from our seed time,” Garrett said. “A top-10 finish would be awesome, but maybe top five is possible, too.”

Garrett has been part of the team’s 200 freestyle relay in each of the past three seasons.

She was on the state team with Nedder, Ruggles and Lillie Ray when they placed 16th in 2019. And the relay team last year had a great shot at state, too.

“Last year I was planning to go to state in this relay again,” Garrett said. “It was a heartbreaking season for all of us. We put in all that time and couldn’t compete at state.

“We want to get to state this year and show what NCMP is made of. It’s an amazing opportunity for us.”

The 400 freestyle relay team is comfortably 10th with its qualifying time. The foursome is less than a second from eighth, too.

Nedder, Lillie Ray and Zaabel all were on the 400 freestyle relay team which placed 19th in 2019.

Zaabel spent most of last season out with an injured ankle and was set to return to the lineup just before the season ended abruptly. She is looking forward to being back inside the Marshalltown YMCA this weekend.

“If something goes wrong and we have to swim, we are practicing with them to make sure we are still in shape to perform,” Zaabel said about her role as an alternate. “Being back in general has been a blessing and just being able to swim the entire year has been fun.”

Ruggles, Nedder and Lillie Ray were part of NCMP’s 200 medley relay team which placed 14th in 2019. Nedder swam on the relay in 2018 when the Aquagirls placed 12th.

“We are really close to a few more records on that board,” Ruggles said. “As cool as records are, I just want us to be proud of our achievements we had this year.

“A lot of schools haven’t seen us in a while. They might have forgotten how much strength we have. It’s going to be fun seeing others’ reactions when we do better than maybe they thought we could do.”

Part of Benson’s role as an alternate is to race Heiar in the breaststroke during practice. They are the only two breaststrokers in the final group of eight so Benson could be used on the medley relay team, too.

Benson is having fun pushing Heiar in practice and is happy NCMP gets some closure to their season and careers.

“It’s fun to push each other. I am trying to push (Alexa) so she’s ready to go,” Benson said. “We get more closure this way and I am glad we get the chance to compete this year.”

Patterson hopes her squad continues to drop time and would love to see more school records set and podium finishes but turning in a really good meet is first and foremost.

“I think we have a shot at two more school records. We could reset all three relays records this year,” Patterson said. “Dropping time, school records and a podium finish are things that would be awesome, but at the end of the day, we just want to have a really good meet. I don’t want to put too much on one thing.”