Cedar Falls claims swim showdown

CEDAR FALLS - Act III in this series of suspense went to Cedar Falls.

The sixth-ranked Tigers fed off the emotion of Senior Night and defeated No. 5 Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 97-89, in a battle of Mississippi Valley Conference girls' swimming giants Tuesday nght at Holmes Junior High.

'We are so close in ability and everything else,” Tigers Coach Dick Marcussen said after the Tigers (7-0 overall, 7-0 MVC) claimed a de facto MVC dual championship.

Kennedy Coach John Ross said, 'We're just like mirror images of each other, going head to head. They stepped up for their seniors tonight.”

It was the third chapter between these teams, but not the final one. Cedar Falls outscored the Cougars at the Little Hawk Invitational in Iowa City last month. Kennedy (5-1, 5-1) squared things here Saturday at the Marcussen Invitational, edging the Tigers for the title.

Tuesday was Cedar Falls' night. And they'll meet again here as co-favorites at the MVC meet Oct. 17.

'I don't feel like we were defeated tonight,” said sophomore MacKinzee Macho, who established a personal record in the 100-yard butterfly. 'The atmosphere was so good. We were all full of energy.”

Macho captured the 200 individual medley in 2 minutes, 13.61 seconds, then inched closer to the school record in the butterfly in 59.49 seconds (the record is 59.19).

Kennedy won seven of 12 events. Kassidy Lovig prevailed in a stirring finish in the 500-yard freestyle iin 5:22.50, edging the Tigers' Grace Considine by 3-tenths of a second at the wire. Both are freshmen.

Lovig also won the 200 freestyle in 2:01.60.

Kennedy also got individual titles from Maddie Bagby in the 100 freestyle (55.57) and Jessica Williams in the 100 backstroke (1:00.21).

Williams, Bagby, Lovig and Lydia Yang combined to win the 400 freestyle relay in 3:48.14. But by then, Cedar Falls had clinched the victory.

The Tigers were led by Olivia Clark, the victor in the 50 free and the 100 breaststroke. Clark also swam on the Tigers' triumphant 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay.

CEDAR FALLS 97, CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY 89

At Cedar Falls (Holmes Junior High)

Diving - Madison Schoppe (CF), 239.05; 200 medley relay - Cedar Falls (S.Hall, Clark, Hackett, M.Hall), 1:50.65; 200 freestyle - Kassidy Lovig (CRK), 2:01.60; 200 IM - MacKinzee Macho (CRK), 2:13.61; 50 freestyle - Olivia Clark (CF), 24.85; 100 butterfly - MacKinzee Macho (CRK), 59.49; 100 freestyle - Maddie Bagby (CRK), 55.57; 500 freestyle - Kassidy Lovig (CRK), 5:22.50; 200 freestyle relay - Cedar Falls (Clark, Hackett, S.Hall, M.Hall), 1:39.90; 100 backstroke - Jessica Williams (CRK), 1:00.21; 100 breaststroke - Olivia Clark (CF), 1:09.39; 400 freestyle relay - C.R. Kennedy (Williams, Bagby, Lovig, Yang), 3:48.14.

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