Aquagirls return all three relays to state swim meet

The only senior who qualified for the state meet from the Newton-Colfax-Mingo-Pella girls’ swim team watched her teammates from the stands as an alternate last fall.

This season, Estella Allen’s one and only state event will be the 200-yard medley relay as the Aquagirls seek to move up the hierarchy in all three relays this weekend.

“I loved watching last year and cheering them on but actually getting to swim this year is so exciting,” Allen said. “I’m excited to feel the adrenaline the girls felt last year. I want to give it my all in my last race.”

With both freestyle relay teams featuring all underclassmen, NCMP head girls’ swim coach Nick Shelton is excited about the future of his program.

He’s also looking forward to being a part of the state swim meet for the first time.

“It will be really cool to see something that I haven’t experienced,” Shelton said. “I will get to see the fastest girls in the state and it’s awesome we get to compete to be in that group.”

The final round of the Iowa High School State Swimming and Diving Championships begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday inside the Marshalltown YMCA/YWCA in Marshalltown.

And the Aquagirls will look to climb a few positions higher than their qualifying seed. NCMP had the 15th-best qualifying time in both the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays.

The first relay on the schedule opens the Saturday session. NCMP’s 200 medley relay team features sophomore Tori White, Allen and juniors Izzy Lane and Alex Riney.

That foursome posted the 25th-best qualifying time at a season-best 1 minute, 54.49 seconds.

It will be the first state meet for both Allen and Lane, while White and Riney are back for a second straight season. Riney will be on all three state-qualifying relay teams.

“It will be a good experience,” Lane said. “I have talked to a few that went before and they say it’s really busy and fun and it will be something new to experience.

“Our streamlines, turns and starts will be important.”

White opens the relay with the backstroke. Allen takes over with the breaststroke followed by Lane’s butterfly and Riney’s freestyle.

The foursome is only 1 second away from the 21st-best qualifying time. They will be in lane 4 of the first heat. White swam on this relay at state last year, too.

“I’m working on getting more power in the stroke,” Allen said. “I need to make sure I’m not doing the stroke all at once and finding the right technique is also something I’m working on.

“It was easy to say last year that I still had this year but now I don’t have that. This is it. I want to put it all out there in the pool and do my best.”

The 200 freestyle relay team perhaps has the best chance to move up the standings. The foursome of sophomore Harper Barton, Riney and juniors Paige Benson and Peyton Ray qualified 15th with a season-best time of 1:41.61.

The five closest teams above the Aquagirls posted qualifying times of 1:41.49 (Johnston), 1:41.44 (Carroll), 1:41.39 (Dubuque Hempstead), 1:40.7 (West Des Moines Valley) and 1:40.57 (Bettendorf).

“I think we need to work on our exchanges more because we aren’t super used to each other yet,” Riney said. “Most of us are all back next year so it’s just another chance to get better and work on things for next year, too.”

Ray is the only three-time state qualifier in this year’s group. She wants to cut more time but finishing in front of Johnston is another realistic goal.

“I feel like the relays are in a good spot. If we drop more time, I think that’s a good goal,” Ray said. “Johnston is just ahead of us in the 200 free relay so beating them this time would be really cool.”

The Aquagirls will swim in lane 1 of the third heat. Benson was in the 200 medley relay last year but slides over to the 200 freestyle relay this fall. Both Barton and Ray swam on this relay at state last season, too.

“I’m really excited,” Benson said. “It’s a great group of girls who I love being around and want to get to know better. I think it will be a fun weekend.”

The 400 freestyle relay will end the state swim meet. NCMP’s team of Ray, Riney, Lane and Barton posted a season-best 3:45.69 to qualify with the 15th-best time.

However, their qualifying time is closer to 20th than it is to 14th. Ray and Riney both swam on this relay at state last season, too.

“I start the 400 free relay. I want to get a good time in that,” said Ray, who is in the event for the third time in her career. “Starting can be different. I want to get that time down to my regular 100 time and my final half of the race needs work.”

NCMP’s relay alternates this year are juniors Avery Meyer and Hailey Dickerson. Neither of them has ever been to the state meet before.

“I will practice like it’s any other week and be prepared in case I need to swim,” Meyer said. “I’m not planning on swimming, but I want to be ready.

“I will try my best and give my best effort this week as if I was going to swim.”

Meyer and Dickerson will have similar roles at practice this week. Dickerson watched the state meet online last fall but is excited to be much closer to the action this time around.

“I’m excited to actually be going and it’s going to be fun to be there in that environment,” Dickerson said. “I’m taking every practice like normal and going hard and being ready to go. I want to be prepared to swim if I need to.”

NCMP’s focus at practice this week is on the little things that can help the girls continue to drop time.

Shelton said they will work on the turns, the starts and the exchanges.

“Those little things make a big difference in the race. That’s what we will be focused on,” Shelton said. “Getting the timing down and developing chemistry with others who you know are going to be on the relay that whole week is going to be key, too.”

Shelton would like to see a relay or two find its way onto the podium, which goes to the top eight finishers in each event. The best chance for that appears to be in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

“The 200 and 400 freestyle relays are fast and 14-13-12-11 are all really close together,” Shelton said. “Top 10 would be great, too.”

Shelton is looking forward to his first state meet experience this weekend, but also can’t help but look forward to next season.

All four swimmers in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays can return next season, while three of the four in the 200 medley relay are non-seniors.

“It’s awesome that most of these girls are coming back next year,” Shelton said. “I texted Stella and told her to represent her class at the state meet. All of these girls besides her get at least one more chance.”

Allen hopes to help her team post a season-best time and move up in the 200 medley relay standings. She also can’t believe her time as an Aquagirl is almost over.

“I have been swimming for the past six months and it’s hard to think that it’s almost over,” Allen said. “I have loved being a part of this team the past four years. I have loved everything this team has to offer and it’s really sad, but I’m excited for one last race.”