Brown thriving after ‘tough decision’ to leave Little Hawks

IOWA CITY - One notable name from 2013 will be missing when postseason competition begins with Saturday's Mississippi Valley Conference girls' swimming meet at Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

Iowa City High senior Lizzie Brown, the area's lone state champion last season, has been swimming exclusively for Coach Donald Spellman and the Iowa City Eels club team since leaving the Little Hawks in September after three dual meets.

'It was a tough decision,” Brown said. 'But I think it was the best decision for me, my training and getting ready for next year.”

The three-time state qualifier won a thrilling 100 breaststroke state championship over Arkansas commit Sydney Angell of Pleasant Valley. With the gold medal already in her back pocket and a coaching change at City High, Brown sought to maintain the challenge and consistency of her club training regimen.

'My focus now is Olympic trials and getting ready to swim in college,” Brown said. 'Just shifted the focus a little bit.”

Brown has been busy fielding a host of Division I scholarship offers, including a full ride from New Mexico even before her official visit later this month. She has already visited Big Ten schools Indiana and Wisconsin, and plans to see North Carolina State and possibly Iowa State.

In the short term, Brown has her sights set on competing in the junior national championships Dec. 10-13 in Federal Way, Wash. There, she also will get another crack at posting a qualifying time in the 100 breaststroke for the 2016 Olympic Trials, an honor she missed by a mere second in August.

'It's definitely motivation,” Brown said.

ADAMS GLAD TO BE BACK

Another Lizzie - Linn-Mar's Adams - returned to the prep scene this fall after spending 2013 with Iowa Flyers Swim Club. A seven-event state qualifier as a freshman and sophomore - including a 200 free relay state championship in 2012 - Adams has bolstered an already stout lineup for No. 4 Linn-Mar.

'I just really realized how much I missed being a part of the high school team and experience,” Adams said. 'Having a good freshman and sophomore year also helped my decision, hoping my senior year would be just as good.”

That it has, as Adams has helped the Lions to a state-best time of 3:38.08 in the 400 free relay, as well as a top-3 time in the 200 free relay. Adams has posted top-20 state times this season in both the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke, events she hopes to compete in when postseason competition begins Saturday.

Adams and a dozen other Lions' seniors will be honored when Linn-Mar (6-1, 4-1 MVC) hosts No. 8 Kennedy (6-1, 5-1 MVC) on Senior Night Tuesday at 6.

ROLLIN' TO REGIONALS

The Linn-Mar Aquatic Center will be one of the six sites for the Nov. 1 girls' swimming regional meets, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union announced Friday.

The Lions will host Cedar Rapids schools Jefferson, Kennedy and Washington, plus Decorah and Tipton. Iowa City West and City High will compete at Clinton, while Vinton-Shellsburg and Williamsburg travel to Southeast Polk.

Linn-Mar and Clinton regional diving will both be held Oct. 30 at Linn-Mar Aquatic Center.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com