MVC Metro girls’ swimming quad gives teams another chance to compete

MARION — It certainly didn't have the atmosphere of a conference swim meet.

It did, however, serve a purpose for the four teams involved.

Saturday's MVC quad meet at the Linn-Mar Aquatics Center featured the four Metro schools — Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Washington and the host Lions — in a meet put together for the athletes. Due to COVID-19, the annual Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet was canceled. In its place, four meets were set up at four sites, giving athletes from the 10 MVC teams an extra chance to compete ahead of the Nov. 7 regional meets.

No team scores were kept, as was the case at meets in Iowa City, Cedar Falls and Dubuque. The results from the four meets will be used to determine all-conference honors.

'This meet for us was like a last chance meet,' said Jefferson Coach Jessica Hinke. 'When (Washington Coach) Megan (Lewis) approached me and (Kennedy Coach) Chad (Derlein) about having this meet, we all thought it would be a really good idea.'

With regionals still three weeks away, the times were not anywhere near postseason levels. Most of the athletes were still in a heavy training mode.

'We had a couple of spots to fill for regionals,' Hinke said. 'There was a little bit of pressure on them, but our season is still the same. We didn't taper for this meet and we didn't rest. We're still in our season, but this was a meet with a bit of pressure.'

Derlein and the Cougars took the same approach.

'We used this as another opportunity to swim,' Derlein said. 'We all wish there could have been a conference meet, but they way there are doing it is great for the girls. I wish it was the other way around, but I approached it just like any other meet.'

Linn-Mar posted wins in seven of the 11 events. Sophomore Hayley Kimmel and freshman Lucy Haars were double individual winners. Both were also part of two winning relays.

Kimmel said the meet was an enjoyable one for her, adding it never gets old swimming in her home pool.

'I came into this today with just a positive mindset,' she said. 'We have regionals and state soon but today was all about helping the team out, concentrating on relays. It was really good competition today.'

Kennedy got wins in four individual events, one coming from freshman Ellie Hance in the 200 individual medley. Hance is just one of several talented freshmen swimming this season for Derlein.

'This was like all season where we all show up and really push each other,' she said. 'What we've been doing in practice isn't easy and isn't always fun, but it draws us closer together as a team.'

Derlein said his team did what it has done all year.

'These guys are just tough,' he said. 'They simply love to compete.'

Regional sites announced

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union has released girls' swimming and diving regional assignments.

There will be seven regional meets. Diving will be held on Thursday, Nov. 5 with the swimming portion to be held on Saturday, Nov. 7. The state meet is scheduled for Nov. 13-14 at Marshalltown.

Gazette area schools have been assigned to the Linn-Mar and Dubuque Hempstead regionals. Other regional sites are: Davenport Central, Fort Dodge, Johnston, Southeast Polk, and West Des Moines Valley.

No fans will be admitted to the 2020 regional meets due to COVID-19 concerns. The Linn-Mar regional will be televised live by KCRG 9.2

Here are teams assigned to regionals at Linn-Mar and Hempstead.

At Linn-Mar: Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Washington, Iowa City High, Iowa City West, Keokuk, Linn-Mar, Tipton, Williamsburg.

At Dubuque: Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Decorah, Dubuque Hempstead, Dubuque Senior, Dubuque Wahlert, Waterloo, Vinton-Shellsburg.

MVC Metro Quad results

At Linn-Mar Aquatic Center

Team scoring: No team scores kept.

Event Results

200-yard medley relay: 1. Linn-Mar (Ella Wagner, Hayley Kimmel, Lilly Geelan, Lily Haars) 1:53.91, 2. Kennedy (Anne Baumann, Casey Gannon, Ellie Hance, Elizabeth Severson) 1:55.19, 3. Washington (Sydney Jones, Lucy Pfab, Abby Jones, Ellie Thompson) 2:00.98.

200 free: 1. Lucy Haars (LM) 1:59.53, 2. Lauren Williams (CRJ) 2:01.06, 3. Emily Brennom (LM) 2:01.93.

200 individual medley: 1. Ellie Hance (CRK) 2:19.26, 2. Casey Gannon (CRK) 2:20.86, 3. Sydney Jones (CRW) 2:21.87.

50 free: 1. Grace Hanrahan (CRK) 25.82, 2. Elizabeth Severson (CRK) 25.95, 3. Meera Julka (CRK) 26.55.

100 butterfly: 1. Ella Wagner (LM) 1:02.53, 2. Ellie Hance (CRK) 1:02.75, 3. Sydney Jones (CRW) 1:04.18

100 free: 1. Lucy Haars (LM) 55.41, 2. Lauren Williams (CRJ) 55.86, 3. Meera Julka (CRK) 57.86.

500 free: 1. Audrey Repko (CRK) 5:24.99, 2. Emily Brennom (LM) 5:27.72, 3. Lilly Geelan (LM) 5:30.09.

200 free relay: 1. Linn-Mar (Ella Wagner, Lucy Haars, Lily Haars, Hayley Kimmel) 1:41.58, 2. Kennedy (Maria Trotta, Anne Baumann, Grace Hanrahan, Raylee King) 1:44.97, 3. Jefferson (Kaitlyn Sellon, Addi Mougin, Charlie DeGroot, Lauren Williams) 1:49.09.

100 backstroke: 1. Elizabeth Severson (CRK) 1:05.99, 2. Mikayla Schmidt (LM) 1:08.88, 3. Grace Whisenand (LM) 1:08.96

100 breaststroke: 1. Hayley Kimmel (LM) 1:07.01, 2. Casey Gannon (CRK) 1:13.69, 3. Abby Jones (CRW) 1:15.15

400 freestyle relay: 1. Linn-Mar (Lilly Geelan, Lucy Haars, Emily Brennom, Hayley Kimmel) 3:43.39, 2. Kennedy (Raylee King, Elizabeth Severson, Maria Trotta, Ellie Hance) 3:46.09, 3. Jefferson (Kaitlyn Sellon, Addi Mougin, Laney Klees, Lauren Williams) 3:59.18.