Xavier swimmers give Kennedy, Washington a boost

CEDAR RAPIDS - This season, girls' swimmers from Xavier have been making the extra effort to participate in the sport they love, even though it is not offered at their school.

Kennedy and Washington cooperate with Xavier to give all swimmers a chance to compete.

'We are all made to feel so welcomed at each school we swim for,” sophomore Sarah Gannon said.

Gannon, one of the top swimmers for Kennedy, has been able to contribute by being a part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relays with top times of 1:40.95 and 3:42.50, respectively. Individually, she is the third best Kennedy swimmer for the 200 and 500 freestyle. Her personal records include 2:01.59 in the 200 and 5:20.08 in the 500.

Kennedy is ranked seventh in the state and has looked dominant all year. The Cougars' only dual loss was against Cedar Falls. In the Mississippi Valley Conference meet on Oct. 17, Gannon finished sixth in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:03.04 and fifth in the 500 freestyle.

Washington also has had its lineup bolstered by Xavier swimmers. Sophomore Lauren Havertape is the top swimmer for Washington in the 50 freestyle with a time of 25.79 and in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:01.44. She also is part of the 200 and 400 freestyle teams. Havertape broke two meet records at the Des Moines Invitational on Sept. 26 in the 100 butterfly and as a part of the 200 freestyle relay team.

'We have a very strong team this season with talented freshmen and sophomores,” Havertape said.

Washington also competed in the MVC meet. Havertape finished second in the 100 butterfly, fourth in the 400 freestyle relay, sixth in the 50 freestyle and sixth in the 200 freestyle relay. Washington is ranked 13th and has only lost two dual meets this season.

Gannon and Havertape will compete in regionals Saturday at the Linn-Mar Aquatic Center.