OTTUMWA —
The Ottumwa girls swim team will look to build on its landmark 2011 season when it begins its season in with a dual against Fairfield at The Beach Ottumwa Aug. 28.
Last year’s Bulldog program grew in two areas: Numbers and victories.
The Bulldogs’ swim team won three dual meets and a couple of its swimmers nearly qualified for the state meet in 2011 after failing to win one meet the previous year.
“I think that every year that goes by as a program we gain more confidence,” coach Stephanie Mishler said.
Sophomore Caroline Carlson and senior Danielle Noe both were within 10 seconds of making state at last season’s district meet at Johnston.
Noe, who attends Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont High School but swims for Ottumwa; came the closest to qualifying, finishing the 50 freestyle in 28.27 seconds, which was just 2.82 seconds off the statewide cutoff time.
Carlson was four seconds off the 50-yard freestyle cutoff time with a time of 29.44 seconds and she was 9.24 seconds off the 100-yard freestyle time.
Other swimmers returning for another season include sophomore Claire Colson, senior Megan Black, who also is a prominent member of the Eddyville-Blakesburg wrestling team, sophomore Marissa Rupalo, junior Maranda Rupalo and junior Jill Ardueser.
The girls’ swim program was mothballed from 2007-2009 because of lack of numbers before returning in 2010 with a 13-member team. In 2011, the squad jumped to 19 swimmers. The trend continued this season with 22 people out for the team, Mishler said.
Ottumwa’s season opener against Fairfield is rather appropriate place to start the season because last year’s dual meet between the two teams ushered in a new era for Ottumwa’s swim program. The Bulldogs’ 89-79 dual victory at Fairfield was the squad’s first win in six years.
“That sort of set the tone for the season,” Mishler said.
The Bulldogs went on to pick up a dual victory at Des Moines East and a home win against Des Moines Hoover. Misler said they hope to build on this success.
“Our motto this year is to shorten the pool,” she said. “We will use our starts and turns to help us be successful.”
What the Bulldogs can do off the wall will also help shape whether Ottumwa is successful this season, Misler said.
The girls started practice Aug. 8 and they still have plenty of things to work on before they begin their season against the Trojans.
“We’re still kind of getting back in the swing of things,” Mishler said. “Again, it’s still two weeks out so we still have a lot to take care of.”
Sports
August 15, 2012
Ottumwa girls swim team look to improve on last year’s success
- Sports
-
- McDanel, Moravia shuts down Seymour MORAVIA - Stepping in for an ace pitcher with the ability to play at the Division I level, freshman Autumn McDanel stepped right up for the Moravia softball team in their season opener against Bluegrass rival Seymour on Tuesday. Taking over for curre
- Elder stays in park for second slam in Comets win DANVILLE - Two nights and two games into the season, Brennon Elder has had the two biggest hits of the season for the Cardinal baseball team. After drilling a grand slam homer out of Cardinal High School's baseball diamond in their season-opening win
-
New-look Pioneers prepare to continue state tennis traditions
FAIRFIELD - Names change. Expectations do not for the Fairfield Maharishi boys tennis program. So even in a season that began with the program starting with as big a change as it has gone through in some time, the end result is still the same as it's
-
Centerville linksters head to state competition
CENTERVILLE -- The Centerville boys golf team made history when it became the first team from the program to qualify for state since 1977. The Big Reds will try to parlay that momentous feat into a successful showing at the Class 3A State Tournament
- On Tap Friday Boys Tennis Class 1A State Singles and Doubles Tournament Fairfield and MSAE at Waterloo, 9 a.m. Boys Golf Class 3A State Tournament Centerville at Ames, 10 a.m. Prep Softball Ottumwa at Mount Pleasant (DH), 6 p.m. Davis County at Moravia (DH), 5:30
-
Blue Demons big rally stuns Van Buren in eight
To say Gabe Gravert hadn't really gotten into the swing of the baseball season was an understatement.
- Hopkins leads Rockets to win over Lady Dees
- Cardinals slips by Van Buren on the road KEOSAUQUA – Delaney Ridgway threw a five-hit shut out and Cardinal slipped by Van Buren 1-0 Thursday in the SEISC South Conference action. "We played really good defense," Comet softball coach Jerald Harter said. Cardinal Schyler Conger managed to s
-
Ottumwa hammers Fort Madison in season-opening doubleheader
FORT MADISON — Mandi Moore tossed a one-hitter in the Ottumwa softball team's 10-0 victory over the first half of its season-opening doubleheader Thursday. The Bulldogs, who started the season ranked No. 2 in Class 5A, kept the momentmum rolling in g
- Ottumwa soccer players named to all-league teams The Ottumwa boys soccer team had two players named to the CIML Metro Conference all-league teams this year. Thien Dinh was selected first team all-league and Charlie Altfillisch made second team. In addition, several Bulldogs received honorable menti
- More Sports Headlines
