AMES — The yearly trip to the Ames Invitational is one Perry swimming head coach Jean Dowd knows is going to a journey in which success will be determined by how well the Jayettes compete against their own times, as it would be grossly unfair to compare their results against those of the other teams in attendance.
“Swimming in such a large meet can sometimes be intimidating and they rose to the challenge,” Dowd said of the seven-member Jayette squad. “I was pleased with the number of personal-best (PB’s) times the swimmers earned at this meet.”
Ames, Newton-Colfax-Mingo-Pella and Carroll had a combined eight divers competing in early morning competition and adding to their team’s respective point totals. The host Little Cyclones easily won the meet with 408 points, wtih MCMP second at 234 and Storm Lake third at 177. Fort Dodge (170), Des Moines Roosevelt (125), Carroll (123), Perry (42) and Des Moines Hoover (36) completed the eight-team field.
With personal and team goals in mind, the Jayettes started well, as the foursome of Haileigh Kenyon, Breanna Penenger, Haley Vaughn and Sadee Whitfield swam a season-best 2 minute, 18.43 second race to place seventh and score 14 points.
Perry’s other points came in the other two relays, in which the Jayettes were also seventh. Second in the pool in order or relays was the 200 freestyle quartet of Vaughn, Whitfield, Kenyon and Ridnour, who finished in 2:02.43. The meet was capped by a season-best effort and drop of five seconds from the foursome of Whitfield, Penenger, Breanna Ackerman and Vivian Gonzalez, who posted a 4:52.34 in the 400 free relay.
Kenyon had a season-best 2:19.46 in the 200 free, with Penenger touching in 2:27.35 while Vaughn completed the 200 individual medley in 2:35.43.
Gonzalez was the top Jayette in the 50 free with a clocking of 31.44 while both Ridnour (32.99) and Ackerman (36.23) had PB’s.
Kenyon (1:02), Whitfield (1:14.38) and Ackerman (1:20.63, a PB) swam in the 100 free, while Penenger posted a 6:40.3 in the 500 free.
Gonzalez turned in a 1:21.35 in the 100 backstroke and Vaughn a 1:19.4 and Ridnour a 1:35.25 in the 100 breaststroke. All three efforts were personal-bests.
Perry returns to action Thursday with a trip to the Fort Dodge Invitational.
