West swimmers show off full strength

IOWA CITY - Since the start of the prep boys' swimming season in late November, it's been a waiting game to see defending state champion Iowa City West's roster at full strength.

With star juniors Mark McGlaughlin and Aidan Keen back from a successful performance at junior nationals, West spent the week flexing its considerable muscle for the first time this season.

Four days after breaking seven pool records in a dual at Cedar Rapids Kennedy, West claimed seven of 11 events, including a pair state-best relay times, to win the Little Hawk Invitational Saturday at Mercer Park Aquatic Center.

'I was real pleased,” West Coach Rob Miecznikowski said. 'Overall, I think we're all very, very happy with how the guys swam today.”

With 389 points, West kept second-place Pleasant Valley (363) at bay despite state season-best victories from Missouri signee Nick Staver in both the 200-yard individual medley (1:56.90) and 100-yard breaststroke (58.38). Bettendorf and Ankeny rounded out the top four.

At junior nationals, McGlaughlin earned fifth-place in the 50-yard freestyle and sixth in the 100, and won the same two events Saturday. He plans to continue to focus on the sprint events the remainder of the season, where he is the defending state champion in each.

'The start of the season has been going really well,” McGlaughlin said. 'Looking forward to see where it can go from here.”

McGlaughlin credits a change in his training regimen, one that incorporates more mid-distance practice in order to build up his endurance, which plays a role even in the shorter sprint swims.

'The 100 is a straight sprint,” McGlaughlin said. 'After the first 50, you tend to die out a little. Training for more distance will help you keep that second 50 up.”

McGlaughlin's 50 free victory led a 1-2-3 sweep for the Trojans, as sophomore Oliver Martin was runner-up and junior Will Scott third.

Like McGlaughlin, Keen also tallied victories in his two state-title events (200-yard freestyle and 500). Martin won the 100-yard butterfly in a season-best time of 53.55, and along with McLaughlin, helped the Trojans obtain state-best times in both the 200-yard medley relay (1:36.79) and the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:07.11). The Trojans were just 11-hundredths of a second from automatic All-American status in the 400 free relay.

'We just started doing harder practices, getting into it, getting back into shape,” Martin said. 'We took one day where we had easier practice before the meet, and I think that really helped us pop off some good times at this meet.”

Fifth-place Iowa City High (214 points) received a strong performance from both of its returning backstroke state qualifiers, senior Abe Eyman Casey and Andrew Parr. Eyman Casey broke the Little Hawk school record in the 100-yard backstroke with a victory in 54.16, while Parr was fourth in 57.70.

'I used to be a sprinter, a freestyler,” Eyman Casey said. 'But I switched to backstroke right about this time last season, and I just feel like it's my best event.”

Cedar Falls was sixth with 152 points.

AT MERCER AQUATIC CENTER

Teams – 1. Iowa City West 389, 2. Pleasant Valley 363, 3. Bettendorf 334, 4. Ankeny 307, 5. Iowa City High 214, 6. Cedar Falls 152, 7. Ottumwa 98, 8. Oskaloosa 61.

200 medley relay – Iowa City West (Mark McGlaughlin, Matt Anderson, Oliver Martin, Will Scott), 1:36.79; 200 freestyle – Aidan Keen (ICW), 1:43.39; 200 individual medley – Nick Staver (PV), 1:56.90; 50 free – McGlaughlin (ICW), 20.96; 100 butterfly – Martin (ICW), 53.55; 100 free – McGlaughlin (ICW), 47.70; 500 free – Keen (ICW), 4:48.25; 200 free relay – Pleasant Valley (Henry Friederichs, Staver, Alex Davis, Jack Stecker), 1:31.68; 100 backsttroke – Abe Eyman Casey (ICH), 54.16; 100 breaststroke – Staver (PV), 58.38; 400 free relay – Iowa City West (Keen, Martin, Scott, McGlaughlin), 3:07.11.

Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com