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Iowa City West and first-year coach Kennedy Gilbertson set to contend for MVC girls’ swimming title
Fifth-ranked Trojans are flourishing in former University of Iowa swimmer’s first season as coach
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IOWA CITY — Her love for Iowa City and a pool deck proved to be the perfect storm for Kennedy Gilbertson.
When she heard Iowa City West was in need of a girls’ swimming coach, the former University of Iowa standout jumped at the chance.
“After five years in Iowa City, I couldn't see myself leaving just yet,” Gilbertson said. “I was already planning to stay in Iowa City and around the pool deck. There was a lot of talk about West needing a coach and being a swim coach is my dream job.”
Not only did Gilbertson get the job, the Trojans are flourishing in her first season. West is ranked No. 5 in the state power rankings entering this week's Mississippi Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championships where the Trojans and No. 3 Cedar Falls are expected to battle it out for the title.
The diving portion of the meet is set for 5 p.m. Thursday with the swimming events scheduled for noon on Saturday at the Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City.
Gilbertson, who was the MVP of the Iowa swimming team in 2023, has embraced the tradition of West swimming while also putting her own touch on the program.
“The senior class really helped the new staff when first beginning,” she said. “There are a lot of things the girls have done in the past that they wanted to keep doing. This is something (assistant coach) Matt (Hamer) and I still wanted to do.
“We didn’t want to come in on the first day changing everything. Although there were a lot of new training schedules and practice structures, we have really tried our best as a staff to keep traditions.”
One tradition West would like to continue on Saturday is winning the MVC title. The Trojans have won the last six conference meets. Last year, West edged Cedar Falls by eight points.
The Tigers defeated West, 123-63, in a dual meet last week in Cedar Falls. Senior Mary Flikkema and junior Taytem Lehmann are the top performers for Cedar Falls. Sophomore Hannah Geng and senior Averie Bilskemper have been the leaders for West in the pool along with senior diver Kamila Swanson, who is one of the favorites to win a state title this season.
For Gilbertson, Saturday's meet is all about her team performing up to their capabilities.
“Heading into the conference we are looking forward to seeing everyone step up and race,” she said. “We have key swimmers that help lead in points. Matt and I are looking forward to seeing everyone coming together to show off their potential.”
Junior Gretchen Gerke and freshman Maggie Nguyen have “stepped up” in Gilbertson's eyes and could be key for West on Saturday. Both swimmers’ best events are the distance freestyle races, but each has the potential to score points in a variety of events.
Other top performers in Saturday’s meet include Iowa City High senior Grace Hoeper, a three-time state champion who has committed to Indiana, and Linn-Mar senior Maura Carstensen, who has the fifth-best time in the 100-yard butterfly.
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