Iowa City High’s Grace Hoeper caps prep swimming career in style

MARSHALLTOWN — Grace Hoeper literally took a leap of faith when she elected to swim for Iowa City High.

That leap of faith ended in the best way possible for Hoeper. On Saturday, the senior defended both of her freestyle sprint championships at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state meet at the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA's Linda Bloom Natatorium. Her titles in the 50 and 100-yard freestyles capped a career that saw her finish with five individual titles.

Hoeper was also named the meet's most outstanding performer.

Saturday's conclusion to her career, began with a critical meeting after Mandi Kowal took over the Little Hawks program before the 2021 season.

A student at Solon, a school without a swim program, Hoeper did not have to compete for City High.

"It started with her," Kowal said. "I had a meeting with her and her mom in a coffee shop and they decided that Grace would come and swim for City High. "Grace and the other seniors have been with me since I've started and today was the end result.

"In the 39 years I have been coaching, she is in the top five percent as a human being, a teammate and a competitor, " continued Kowal. "She's a really special individual and with her came a senior class who has been with me for four years now."

An Indiana commit, Hoeper was dominant in winning both the 50, for the third straight year, in 23.06 seconds and the 100 in 49.94, outdistancing Bettendorf freshman Lillian Andedo in both events.

"It's definitely been a goal," she said of winning the swimmer of the meet honor. "Last year, I just missed out on it. I was under consideration for it so I was super happy to achieve it."

As for her approach to Saturday's races, Hoeper said she was in a good place as she took the blocks.

"Honestly, this year was probably my least stressful year," Hoeper said. "I've found peace with how I am going to swim and my team having my back has been a big help with that. I just went into (both of Saturday's races) really confident and it was really fun to compete today."

Hoeper and Kowal both believe the City High program is now on solid footing.

"We all bought in to what Mandi was preaching," Hoeper said. "She believed in us and we believed in her and today showed what we were capable of as a team"

The team championship was a tight battle between West Des Moines Dowling and Waukee Northwest. The Maroons held on to win the title, scoring 260 points to 243 for Northwest. Cedar Falls was third with 220.

Iowa City West was the top area team, finishing eighth with 89 points, just one ahead of City High.

The Trojans’ top finish came on Friday when senior diver Kamila Swanson took second in the diving contest. She scored 486.90 points just behind Grinnell's Camryn Russell (488.25). West's Hannah Longmire also took home top honors in the para 50 freestyle while Hannah Geng was fifth in the 100 freestyle and seventh in the 200 free.

STATE MEET RESULTS

Final Team Scores: 1. WDM Dowling 260, 2. Waukee NW 243, 3. Cedar Falls 220, 4. Bettendorf 216, 5. Ames 191, 6. SC West 127, 7. Pleasant Valley 116, 8. IC West 89, 9. IC High 88,, 10. SE Polk 85, 11. Johnston 82, 12. Fort Dodge 61.5, 13. Newton 56, 14. Waterloo West 54, 15. WDM Valley 49, 16. Spencer 48, 17. Dub. Wahlert 44, 18. Grinnell 36, 19. Dub. Senior 34, 20. Perry 32, 21. CR Kennedy 27.5, 22. (tie) CR Washington, Waukee, DM North 27, 25. Linn-Mar 24, 26 CB Lewis Central 18, 27. Marshalltown 15, 28. Dav. Central 11, 29. Ankeny 9, 30. Algona 7

(Top 3 finishers followed by Gazette Area Qualifiers)

200-yard medley relay: 1. Cedar Falls 1:45.36, 2. Waukee Northwest 1:45.55, 3. Ames 1:46.75, 9. CR Washington (Jada Ripke, Lily Belle Barker, Zoey Jones, Mattie Piersall) 1:51.70; 13. Linn-Mar (Layla Breitbach, Maura Carstensen, Mehal Raghwani, Anna Nordine) 1:54.28; 15. IC High (Celeste Miller, Saoirse Miller, Elsa Farber, Louisa Berry-Stoelzle) 1:55.40; 18. Decorah (Isabella Sailor, Jenna Schissel, Elizabeth Bucksa, Grace Baker) 1:56.10; 19. CR Jefferson (Katie Slosiarek, Lily Gearheart, Joselyn Barber, Lauren Weiss) 1:56.45; 29. IC West (Megan O'Neill, Emelia Grueter, Berkley Dismang, Gabriella Cwiertny) 1:59.37; 31. CR Kennedy (Laynie Adams, Lucy Nunez, Sarah Forester, Shea Wilson) 1:59.84

200 freestyle: 1. Faith Frantum (Johnston), 1:50.65, 2. Annie Gilligan (Dub Senior) 1:51.25, 3. Charlotte Qualley (WDM Dowl) 1:52.56; 7. Hannah Geng (ICW) 1:54.77; 14. Lilly Adams (CRK) 1:57.77; 26. Gretchen Gerke (ICW) 1:59.75; 27. Greta Huberg (LM) 2:01.83; 32. Maggie Nguyen (ICW) 2:03.95

200 individual medley: 1. Willa Hage (Waukee NW) 2:04.06, 2, Dawsyn Green (PV) 2:07.48, 3. Halle Sears (Spencer) 2:08.49; 16. Mahal Raghwani (LM) 2:14.84; 24. Jada Ripke (CRW) 2:18.03; 25. Megan O'Neill (ICW) 2:18.39; 29. Layla Breitbach (LM) 2:21.35; 32. Lily Belle Barker (CRW) 2:21.99

50 para freestyle: 1. Hannah Longmire (ICW) 42.35, 2. Ally Darter (Dub. Hemp.) 43.86, 3. Phoenix Jackson (Dav. Central) 1:07.32

50 freestyle: 1. Grace Hoeper (ICH) 23.06, 2. Lillian Andedo (Bett.) 23.50, 3. Charlee DeJong (WDM Valley) 23.77; 10. Lilly Anctil (CRK) 24.92; 27. Lauren Weiss (CRJ) 25.57; 29. Isabella Friessen (ICW) 25.65

100 butterfly: 1. Hayden Bailey (Waukee NW)54.99, 2. Leah Mason (CF) 56.51, 3. Dawsyn Green (PV) 58.07, 10. Lilly Anctil (CRK) 59.42; 15. Maura Carstensen (LM) 1:00.41.

100 para freestyle: 1. Addalyn Worster (Keokuk) 1:06.27, 2. Hannah Longmire (ICW) 1:34.93, 3. Phoenix Jackson (Dav. Central) 2:27.97

100 freestyle: 1. Grace Hoeper (ICH) 49.94, 2. Lillian Andedo (Bett.) 51.85, 3. Charlee DeJong (WDM Valley) 51.95, 5. Hannah Geng (ICW) 52.82, 10. Averie Bilskemper (ICW) 53.45, 18. Mehal Raghwani (LM) 54.79

500 freestyle: 1. Faith Fanthum (Johnston) 4:58.80, 2. Riley Snakenburg (Ames) 5:03.18, 3. Natalie Patee (SC West) 5:04.49, 11. Greta Huberg (LM) 5:18.00; 14. Gretchen Gerke (ICW) 5:20.95, 16. Mackenzie Tristan (LM) 5:38.90, 22. Maggie Nguyen (ICW) 5:29.08, 26. Izzy Telisak (LM) 5:33.15, 27. Kylie Wachtl (CRJ) 5:34.56

200 freestyle relay: 1. Bettendorf 1:35.07; 2. WDM Dowling 1:37.32, 3. Waukee NW 1:37.62, 6. IC High (Grace Hoeper, Elsa Farber, Louisa Berry-Stoelzle, Saoirse Miller) 1:38.30, 11. IC West (Hannah Geng, Gabriella Cwiertny, Isabella Friessen, Averie Bilskemper) 1:40.64, 13. CR Kennedy (Lilly Anctil, Abby Faughn, Shea Wilson, Lilly Adams) 1:41.23 19. CR Washington (Payton Feldermann, Devin Smeby, Lily Belle Barker, Zoey Jones) 1:43.59; 21. Decorah (Isabella Sailor, Grace Baker, Jenna Schissel, Elizabeth Bucksa) 1:44.26, 24. CR Jefferson (Katie Slosiarek, Kylie Wachtl, Joselyn Barber, Lauren Weiss) 1:44.41, 25. Linn-Mar (Maura Carstensen, Layla Breitbach, Addison Luck, Greta Huberg) 1:45.13

100 para backstroke: 1. Addalyn Worster (Keokuk) 1:21.25.

100 backstroke: 1. Hayden Bailey (Waukee NW) 56.12, 2. Annie Gilligan (Dub. Senior) 56.72, 3. Haylie Weinheimer (DM North) 57.08; 11. Jada Ripke (CRW) 1:00.61, 14. Lilly Adams (CRK) 1:00.92, 29. Megan O'Neill (ICW) 1:03.57

100 breaststroke: 1. Lucy Parson (Wat. West) 1:02.43, 2. Willa Hage (Waukee NW) 1:02.67, 3. Ginny Heddinger (WDM Dowl.) 1:04.11, 14. Lily Belle Barker (CRW) 1:08.09; 17. Maura Carstensen (LM) 1:08.10 3.; 20. Elizabeth Bucksa (Dec.) 1:08.34; 25. Averie Bilskemper (ICW) 1:09.34; 26. Lily Gearheart (CRJ) 1:09.43

400 freestyle relay: 1. Bettendorf 3:28.39, 2. Waukee NW 3:32.20, 3. Cedar Falls 3:33.87, 7. IC West (Hannah Geng, Isabella Friessen, Maggie Nguyen, Averie Bilskemper) 3:37.03, 9. IC High (Louisa Berry-Stoelzle, Elsa Farber, Celeste Miller Grace Hoeper) 3:40.03, 15. Linn-Mar (Mehal Raghwani, Anna Nordine, Addison Luck, Greta Huberg) 3:44.21, 17. CR Kennedy (Lilly Adams, Abby Faughn, Sarah Forester, Lilly Anctil) 3:44.59, 23. CR Jefferson (Katie Slosiarek, Kylie Wachtl, Joselyn Barber, Lauren Weiss) 3:48.71, 24. Decorah (Jenna Schissel, Isaballa Sailor, Grace Baker, Elizabeth Bucksa) 3:48.92; 32. CR Washington (Jada Ripka, Lillian Buresh, Harper Decker, Mattie Piersall) 4:00.53

Diving: 1. Camryn Russell (Grinnell) 488.25, Kamilla Swanson (ICW) 486.90, 3. Holli Hetzer (SE Polk) 449.75, 15. Tori Sletteland (LM) 353.35, 24. Rowan Russell (ICW) 159.25