Martin wins twice, leads NCMP to fifth at Cedar Rapids Washington

CEDAR RAPIDS — Finn Martin won a pair of events, Ethan Comer and Evan Marshall finished inside the top 10 in two individual events and Hudson Meyer was top five in the backstroke as the Newton-Colfax-Mingo-Pella boys swim team placed fifth at the Cruise-Voss Invitational on Saturday.

The No. 23 Cardinals scored 148 points in fifth and finished 54.5 points in front of No. 22 Decorah (93.5).

Waukesha South/CMH of Wisconsin scored 300 points and edged third-ranked West Des Moines Valley (294) by six to win the meet. No. 18 Bettendorf (184.5) and No. 19 and host Cedar Rapids Washington (170) also finished in front of NCMP.

No. 34 Des Moines Lincoln (79) and No. 40 Williamsburg (31) completed the eight-team field.

Martin’s wins came in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle. He won the 50 freestyle in 21.68 seconds and his winning time in the 100 freestyle was clocked in 46.98. Marshall was 10th in the 100 freestyle in 53.95.

Martin currently holds the state’s top time in the 50 freestyle and the third-best in the 100 freestyle.

The Cardinals scored 35 of their points in the 50 and 100 freestyle and 17 came in the 100 breaststroke.

Comer led the 100 breaststrokers in sixth with a time of 1 minute, 6.38 seconds. Evan Marshall (1:13.47) was eighth and Kaden Marshall (1:18.91) placed 10th.

Meyer tallied a fifth-place finish in the 100 backstroke. His time was clocked in 1:01.7 and Drew Fuller took eighth in 1:04.06.

The next best individual finish came from Comer in the 200 individual medley. He was eighth in 2:16.06.

Caleb Punt and Fuller came in back-to-back in the 200 freestyle. Punt was ninth in 2:00.75 and Fuller placed 10th in 2:04.5.

NCMP was fourth in the 200 freestyle relay, fifth in the 200 medley relay and sixth in the 400 freestyle relay.

The 200 freestyle relay team featured Martin, Comer, MacK Copeland and Evan Marshall and they finished fourth in 1:32.65.

Meyer, Comer, Martin and Evan Marshall posted a season-best time of 1:44.37 to place fifth in the 200 medley relay. That time ranks 20th in the state.

The 400 freestyle relay team included Copeland, Punt, Meyer and Fuller and they were sixth in 3:38.03.

Waukesha South/CMH claimed the team title after winning five events. The Blackshirts won two of the three relays.

West Des Moines Valley only won two events but finished 1-2-3 in the 500 freestyle and 2-4 in the 100 and 200 freestyle.