By Jon Gremmels
Herald Sports Editor
October 13, 2008 11:15 am
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EAST MOLINE, Ill. - For a team that competes almost exclusively in dual meets, Saturday's Panther Invitational girls swimming meet provided several opportunities for the Clinton High School team.
The River Queens competed against some teams and individuals they haven't seen and won't see again this season. They got to test themselves against strong and/or similar competitors in every lane instead of the typical one or two standouts in each race of a dual. It also gave them a measuring stick for where they stand as the season heads into the home stretch.
“I think invitationals are my favorite meets,” said Clinton's Libby Hess, who won the 100-yard breaststroke. “You get prepared to go against better people. It shows you how you've progressed, too, and if you're ready to go to districts.”
Teammate Taylor Rippon said: “You're not going against one team, so it's more of a competition.”
Hess was the lone champion for the River Queens, but several other swimmers also earned the praises of coach June Wilden as Clinton claimed sixth place with 102 points in the 12-team meet at the United Township High School pool. That was the highest finish of the four Iowa schools in the meet. Galesburg won with 253 points, while Normal Community was second with 222, followed by United Township (180), Miline (173.5) and Quincy (117). Morrison placed ninth with 64 points.
“I'm very pleased with how we did,” Wilden said. “The kids came to swim today, and it makes a difference with the mental attitude they had.
“I thought Taylor Rippon and Libby Hess swam really well. Alyssa Erling swam a real nice breaststroke. Kate (Kaster) swam well in the 500 freestyle (10th place). Stevie Erling swam her best 100 freestyle.”
Hess won the breaststroke in her best time ever, 1 minute, 9.76 seconds, just three-tenths of a second off the meet record.
“I go in thinking I just want a good time,” she said. “First place is good, but I want a good time.”
Hess also finished one place in front of Johnson with a runner-up spot in the 200 individual medley. Alexa Harris of Moline won in 2:15.56, with Hess next at 2:24.51.
Hess combined with Katie Stanley, Rippon and Alyssa Erling for a fifth-place finish in the 200 medley relay. Stanley, Rippon, Kate Kaster and Hess were fourth in the 200 freestyle relay.
Rippon also recorded an individual runner-up finish for Clinton. She was second to United Township standout Alyssa Busch in the 100 butterfly. Busch, a returning state placewinner for the Panthers, won in 1:02.70, with Rippon second in 1:05.71.
“Usually I don't swim good at this pool, so it was a good time for me,” Rippon said. “Right now, I'm not happy with where I am. My PRs come later in the season.”
Brianna Eizenga, a former Clinton swimmer, was the top placer for Morrison. The junior earned top-six finishes in two events. She was third in the 500 freestyle, which Normal's Caitlin Hamilton won in a meet- and pool-record time of 4:59.16.
“That's a little bit intimidating,” Eizenga said, noting that Hamilton's seed time of 4:56.66, was more than a half-minute better than anyone else's in the field.
“I was hoping to beat the girl next to me (Quincy's Anne Marie Christensen), but she's tough. It was my best time of the year.”
Christensen touched in 5:39.16, Eizenga is 5:40.86.
Eizenga, who said the adjustment from Clinton to Morrison was going well, also took sixth in the 200 freestyle.
“I did pretty well today,” she said.
Rachael Barry, also a junior for Morrison, took fifth in the 50 freestyle in 27.13 and was eighth in the 100 backstroke.
“Rachael is an up-and-comer,” Morrison coach Steve Wilkins said. He said there were several of performances of note.
“We're a young team and trying to build a bit, but I'm pleased and proud of them,” Wilkins said.
In fact, Wilkins said his team did well enough for a special reward.
“This is a Whitey's ice cream meet,” he said, referring to the nearby ice cream parlor. “If they swim well enough, the coach gets them Whiteys. They did.”
Panther Invitational
Saturday at United Township, East Moline, Ill.
Team standings - 1. Galesburg (Ill.) 253, 2. Normal Community (Ill.) 222, 3. United Township (Ill.) 180, 4. Moline (Ill.) 173.5, 5. Quincy (Ill.) 117, 6. Clinton 102, 7. Pleasant Valley 98.5, 8. Davenport Central 73, 9. Morrison 64, 10, Davenport North 48, 11. Rock Island (Ill.) 38, 12. Peoria High (Ill.) 14.
Top three, plus other Clinton and Morrison placewinners
Diving - 1, Shelby Brown (NC) 357.15; 2. Kelly Napier (G) 351.50; 3. Marguerite Delvecchio (DN) 289.35; 7. Laura Callan (Clinton) 232.25.
200-yard medley relay - 1. United Township (Alyssa Busch, Sasha Johnson, Celeste Raya, Erin Willhite) 1:57.91; 2. Galesburg 1:57.96; 3. Moline 1:58.81; 5. Clinton (Katie Stanley, Libby Hess, Taylor Rippon, Alyssa Erling) 2:03.62; 9. Morrison (Rachael Barry, Ashley Vegter, Tyler Smoot, Brianna Eizenga) 2:12.23.
200 freestyle - 1. Caitlin Hamilton (NC) 1:55.66; 2. Mercedes Rhoades (Q) 2:02.46; 3. Lauren Albert (G) 2:06.64; 6. Eizenga (Mor) 2:09.09; 10. Kate Kaster (Clinton) 2:17.69; 18. Darion Scanlan (Morrison) 2:31.13; 20. Kendra Evers 2:40.40.
200 individual medley - 1. Harris (Mol) 2:15.56; 2. Hess (Clinton) 2:24.51; Johnson (UT) 2:25.50; 9. Rippon (Clinton) 2:30.50; 11. Smoot (Morrison) 2:31.30; 20. Bonnie Justice (Morrison) 2:51.72.
50 freestyle - 1. Shannon Doh (Mol) 25.16; 2. Natalie Statham (G) 26.38; 3. Sarah Katchen (G) 26.75; 5. Barry (Morrison) 27.13; 12. Stanley (Clinton) 28.94; 15. Katie Spooner (Clinton) 29.33; 23. Brittany Slater (Morrison) 34.95.
100 butterfly - 1. Busch (UT) 1:02.70; 2. Rippon (Clinton) 1:05.71; 3. Lori Claricoates (NC) 1:06.53; 13. Justice (Morrison) 1:20.87; 18. Scanlan (Morrison) 1:24.85; 19. Evers (Clinton) 1:28.13.
100 freestyle - 1. Doh (Mol) 55.61; 2. Albert (G) 57.35; 3. Kathleen Varner (G) 57.75; 13. Vegter (Morrison) 1:05.44; 15. A. Erling (Clinton) 1:07.55; 22. Stevie Erling (Clinton) 1:18.35; 23. Monique Baker (Morrison) 1:20.70.
500 freestyle - 1. Hamilton (NC) 4:59.16 (meet, pool records); 2. Anne Marie Christensen (Q) 5:39.16; 3. Eizenga (Morrison) 5:40.86; 10. Kaster (Clinton) 5:59.66; 21. Emma Yahn (Clinton) 8:02.68; 22. Meghan Huizenga (Morrison) 8:41.91.
200 freestyle relay - 1. Galesburg (Statham, Colleen Shelly, Katchen, Katie VanHootegem) 1:45.17; 2. Moline 1:48.78; 3. Normal 1:48.91; 4. Clinton (Stanley, Rippon, Kaster, Hess) 1:51.97; 9. Morrison (Scanlan, Vegter, Smoot, Barry) 1:57.91.
100 backstroke - 1. Busch (UT) 1:00.00; 2. Harris (Mol) 1:00.76; 3. Rhoades (Q) 1:02.03; 8. Barry (Morrison) 1:09.05; 10. Smoot (Morrison) 1:10.09; 14. Stanley (Clinton) 1:11.60; 22. S. Erling (Clinton) 1:37.37.
100 breaststroke - 1. Hess (Clinton) 1:09.76; 2. Johnson (UT) 1:10.50; 3. Christensen (Q) 1:12.57; 12. Vegter (Morrison) 1:22.81; 16. A. Erling (Clinton) 1:25.40; 22. Hannah Coyle (Morrison) 1:35.73.
400 freestyle relay - 1. Normal (Claricoates, Lacey Alvis, Hamilton, Morgan Buecchele) 3:50.50; 2. Galesburg 3:53.73; 3. United Township 3:56.79; 10. Morrison (Coyle, Justice, Scanlan, Eizenga) 4:43.95. Clinton was disqualified.
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