Five Aquagirls seek best swims at state meet

More swimmers from the Newton-Colfax-Mingo-Pella girls’ swim team will be competing in individual events at the state meet than maybe ever before.

Five Aquagirls punched seven tickets into the Iowa High School State Swimming and Diving Championships this fall. That’s at least the most in the past three decades.

And after not really tapering the week before districts, NCMP head coach Nick Shelton believes his group can get even faster.

“I tapered too early last year admittedly so I pushed it back this year,” Shelton said. “I relied on their talents going into districts to get the times they needed. Now we get to taper for state and that will be good for us.”

Junior Harper Barton comes into the state meet with the best chance to earn a spot on the podium.

Her qualifying time of 24.71 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle gave her the 13th fastest time at the state meet.

The top eight finishers in Friday’s preliminary round advance to Saturday’s ‘A’ final. The next fastest eight move on to the ‘B’ final.

“I’d like to see Harper get on the podium in the 50 freestyle,” Shelton said. “I think that’s realistic if she swims a good race.”

Barton advanced to state in the 50 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke. Senior Alex Riney joins Barton in the 50 freestyle and senior Addison Van Maanen qualified for the 100 breaststroke for the second straight season.

Van Maanen also advanced to state in the 200 individual medley, while junior Tori White and senior Peyton Ray are now both two-time state qualifiers in the 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle, respectively.

“A goal I have is to make podium at state,” Riney said. “I want to make the finals. I don’t know how realistic that is, but I think being in the top 16 would be really fun.”

Barton enters the state meet with the 13th-fastest qualifying time in the 50 freestyle and the 19th best in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.78).

Riney will swim in lane eight of the third heat in the 50 freestyle, while Barton will be in lane two of Heat 4. Riney, who is swimming in an individual state event for the first time in her career, qualified with the 23rd-best time in 25.14.

Barton was 20th in the 100 freestyle last year and placed 18th in the 100 breaststroke as a freshman.

“My goal is to make it to the ‘A’ final in both events,” Barton said.

Van Maanen will be the first NCMP swimmer in the pool for Friday’s preliminary round.

She will compete in the 200 IM for the first time at state and will be in lane five of the first heat. Her career-best time of 2 minutes, 17.51 seconds was the 26th-best qualifying time.

Van Maanen is back at state in the 100 breaststroke. She placed 24th in last year’s state meet and will join Barton in the fourth heat of the preliminary round on Friday.

Barton will be at one end of the pool in lane one, while Van Maanen jumps into the water from lane eight. Van Maanen’s 1:08.62 at regionals was the 22nd-best qualifying time.

“I would love to get in the 1:07s and move up a few places in the 100 breaststroke,” Van Maanen said. “I just want to cut a few more seconds off my time in the 200 IM.”

Ray finished the 100 freestyle in 54.77 seconds at regionals. That was good enough for the 23rd-best qualifying time.

She will be in lane eight of the third heat. Ray placed 30th in the event as a sophomore.

White wants to finish in the top 24 of the 100 backstroke. She has a goal of beating the school record but will be happy with a time in the 1:01s.

White swam 1:02.41 at regionals. That was good enough for the 24th-best qualifying time. She will be in lane eight of heat two. White placed 31st in the event last season.

“I think a realistic goal for all of the individual events is to get into the top 15,” Shelton said. “Hopefully they can swim their best and drop some time.”

Friday’s preliminary round for the individual events begins at 11 a.m. inside the Linda Bloom Natatorium at the Marshalltown YMCA in Marshalltown.

The finals for both individual events and the relays will be at noon on Saturday. Diving kicks off at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The top eight finishers in each event earn state medals.