FORT DODGE — Already used to dealing with a shortened roster, the numbers game all but wiped out the Perry swimmers Thursday, two days after powerhouse Ames simply swamped the Jayettes.
Perry normally has a roster of only seven girls, one of whom — freshman Rhylan Agan — is just learning how to swim in competition. Jaylene Karolus missed the trip to Fort Dodge to run in a cross country meet, with Sarah Vaughn and Gracie Phillips having excused absences.
As a result, Perry left five races uncontested and had a false start in a sixth.
Fort Dodge topped Perry, 115-15, with Algona a 95-21 winner over Perry in the double dual, in which each of the three teams are scored independently against each other. Fort Dodge topped Algona 110-45 to complete the team scoring.
Avery Miner was first against Algona and second to Fort Dodge in the 100 freestyle with a 1 minute, 7.4 second clocking, with Hailey Meacham third against both foes in the 50 free after touching in 33.83.
Miner and Meacham were joined by Amanda Holwegner and Agan for all three relays. The 200 and 400 free races saw Perry third to Fort Dodge and second to Algona, with times of 2:12.96 and 5:04.08, respectively. The 200 medley relay team was twice third, touching in 2:38.86.
Perry had six swimmers on hand Tuesday in Ames (Karolus was running cross country), with the Little Cyclones suiting up nearly 90 girls — more athletes than the largest football teams in the state. Ames had 10 diving points, and otherwise overwhelmed Perry, winning 149-18.
The 200 medley relay of Phillips, Holwegner, Meacham and Miner were third in 2:26.15, with the same foursome third in the 200 free relay in 2:08.85. Miner, Meacham, Holwegner and Sarah Vaughn finished fourth in the 400 free relay in 4:47.52.
Vaughn was third in the 500 free (6:29.33), Holwegner fourth in both the 100 free (1:04.88) and 100 breaststroke (1:27.23) with Phillips fourth in the 100 back (1:20.42).
Miner touched fourth (31.96) and Meacham fifth (33.33) in the 50 free, with Vaughn fourth (2:23.98) in the 200 free. Perry did not contest the 200 individual medley or the 100 butterfly.
Perry will return to action Tuesday at the McCreary Community Building pool when Newton and Oskaloosa visit for a double-dual.
