Cedar Rapids’ Audrey Repko makes nationals finals in open water swimming

MIAMI — Audrey Repko of Cedar Rapids placed 17th out of 70 competitors last weekend at the U.S. Open Water Junior National Championships.

She swam the 5K (3.1 miles) at the event, held in conjunction with the Open Water National Championships. The junior division featured athletes age 18-and-under.

Repko, 15, swims for Eastern Iowa Swimming Federation.

She qualified last June at the Open Water Central Zones competition in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., placing fourth in the 5K — third among athletes 16-and-under.

'Swimming at Junior Nationals was a great experience,' Repko said. 'I learned a lot about how to fight for position and maneuver through the packs of swimmers.

'The athletes I swam against were very competitive. I'm looking forward to swimming at Open Water Zones and coming back to nationals next year.'

Repko will compete in the zones competition in Pleasant Prairie on June 14 with hopes of finishing in the top three and qualifying for the 5K nationals in the senior division at next summer's national championships.

'Audrey has been on a meteoric rise in swimming over the past two year,' said EISF head coach and Owner Megan Oesting. 'She's gone from a novice level swimmer to a national level swimmer by sheer force of will. She loves open water and has really become a student of the sport.

'This was only her second ever open water race, and open water is an event where experience matters. ... It's intense out there, it's like running a cross country race with blinders on and only being able to see your immediate space ... It's not for the shy or timid, that's for sure.'

SOMERSAULTS' HAKERT, DAVIS ARE TRIPLE WINNERS

CEDAR RAPIDS — Bailey Hakert and Bailey Davis of the Somersaults Gymnastics won three state titles apiece, including the all-around competition last month.

Hakert won in the Xcel Gold division and also took home gold in the vault and balance beam. Davis won in the Platinum and also captured the vault in bars.

Somersaults' Avery Walter won vault and beam titles in Xcel Bronze.

Other Somersault winners were Aletta Kirk (bars), Elliana Brockhohn (vault) and Charlie Bruner (beam) in Bronze; Paige McClintock (vault), Emersyn Connerley (bars) and Mackenzie Eichhorn (beam) in Silver; and Bently Rust (bars), Taylor Brejcha (bars) and Ella Beach (floor exercise) in Gold.

Somersault placewinners were Peton Daley, Brynn Thompson and Josalyn Demorest in Bronze; Addy Sobaski, Kennedy Hurlbert, Audra Peterson, Ella Deiters, Harley Schulte and Tori Allard in Silver; and Kiersten Swart in Gold.