Fast transition for Williamsburg swimmer McRoberts

CEDAR RAPIDS - With just a year of eligibility remaining, Tessa McRoberts decided to give it a go.

After a club swimming stint with the Iowa City Eels and a year of tapering, the Williamsburg senior is swimming varsity for the Raiders.

'I'm starting on a clean slate. I just worked my way up,” said McRoberts, who leads Wiilliamsburg into its dual at Cedar Rapids Washington tonight at 6 p.m. 'It's really fun just having no expectations and just dropping time.”

The transition has been a successful one for McRoberts, who continues to pile up wins in both the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke while improving her time with each successive meet. While she enjoyed the intense push of the club swimming environment, McRoberts is thriving in the team-first mentality at the high school level.

'Though it's an individual event, it's really team supported,” McRoberts said. 'It's nice because you get to see the girls root for you every event.”

McRoberts has her sights set on qualifying for November's state meet in Marshalltown in the 100 fly and 100 back, and hopes to threaten the Williamsburg 100 back record of 1:01.

PLANE TAKING OFF AT CRAA

Cedar Rapids Aquatics Association Coach Joe Plane has been on the job just seven months, but his contributions to area swimmers is already evident.

The Michigan native works with high school swimmers from the Cedar Rapids/Marion area in the offseason to help them prepare for competition.

'What we do as a club is put kids in their best events,” Plane said. 'Make them fit, make them strong, keep them healthy.”

Two of Plane's prized pupils - freshmen MacKinzee Macho of Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Emily Nelson of Cedar Rapids Washington - both worked with Plane in the months leading up to their freshman season and have tallied early meet victories. Macho has won the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly, Nelson the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle.

'The goal is to make them a better swimmer,” Plane said. 'They're going to be better at certain things. When we train for all of it, we're keeping them safe and healthy.”

CRAA also recently announced the addition of former Iowa City High girls' swimming coach Ivan Sanchez as an assistant.

LIONS DUO AMONG STATE'S BEST

Nearly a month into the girls' swimming season, Linn-Mar sophomores Kelsey Drake and Jenn Jenks are fixtures in the list of the state's top times. Drake - a state runner-up in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly last season for Cedar Rapids Jefferson - has posted a top-six time in the state in a whopping seven individual events, including a state-best time of 1:07.43 in the 100 breaststroke (Sept. 9) and 2:08.59 in the 200 IM (Aug. 26). Jenks has posted a top-six time in four events, and the pair have combined to reach the top four in three separate relay events, including a state-best time of 3:38.08 in the 400 free relay on Sept. 6.

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