Girls’ state swimming and diving meet moving to Iowa City

IOWA CITY — After 21 years in Marshalltown, the girls’ state swimming and diving championships are making a move.

The board of directors of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union approved the University of Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center as the new home of the meet, beginning this fall.

IGHSAU made the announcement on Monday.

The meet, held in Fort Dodge from 1974-2003, had been at the Linda Bloom Natatorium, a part of the Marshalltown's YMCA-YWCA, since it opened in 2004. The boys’ state swim meet also was held there until 2017 when it moved to Iowa City.

“We are excited to have the University of Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center hosting the girls’ state wwimming and diving championships,” said IGHSAU Executive Director Erin Gerlich in a press release. “Iowa City, Coralville and the Iowa City Sports Commission provide outstanding support for all the state events they host. They will paint the town pink for our swimmers and divers next November.”

The CRWC opened in 2010. The natatorium has hosted numerous national meets, including the 2015 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, USA Diving Regionals along with the boys’ state meet.

“We are so excited to be joining Mayor Bruce Teague and Associate Director of Aquatics Emily Downes in welcoming the IGHSAU to Iowa City for the annual Swimming & Diving Championships,” said Iowa City Area Sports Commission Sports Development Manager Kylee Walker in the release. “Emily and I are both proud Iowa girls so it’s especially meaningful to be tasked with helping to organize these annual state championship experiences. We know firsthand how meaningful these moments were in our lives so it’s a special opportunity to serve.

“It is an opportunity we don’t take for granted.”

For the past several years, there has been a call to get the state meet into a more state-of-the-art facility. The pool at Marshalltown provided a loud atmosphere, but as the meet continued to evolve, the limitations increased.

"As the (Cedar Rapids) Jefferson coach, I appreciate the nostalgia of an old pool and the character that it builds to train in an old pool," said J-Hawks Coach Jessica Hinke, "especially at Jefferson, since it's extra hard to get out due to the high edges. The swimmers get extra strong throughout the season just by pulling themselves out of the pool.

"But the big meets need to be at pools that are large enough to handle that capacity and those pools need to be pools that were designed for competitive swimming and not swim lessons."

Iowa City High Coach Mandi Kowal also welcomed the change.

"What won't be missed (in Marshalltown) is the shallowness of the pool," she said. "(This move) ensures the girls will be swimming at state in a fast pool."

Gerlich said there is sadness in leaving the Marshalltown community.

“While we are thrilled about moving the state meet to Iowa City, this is a bittersweet day because Marshalltown has been an outstanding state meet host for 21 years,” Gerlich said. “We are grateful for all of the hard work that the Marshalltown Y staff and its many volunteers have provided throughout the years.”

One of the concerns about having the meet in Iowa City was always being in conflict with an Iowa football game. This year's meet is scheduled for Nov. 14-15, a Friday and Saturday. On that Saturday, the Hawkeyes are playing at USC. In years when Iowa has a home game the week of the state meet, it will be held on Thursday and Friday, according to IGHSAU Associate Director Jason Eslinger.