What to Watch at the State Swimming and Diving Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
A season like no other before it will conclude for Iowa girls swimming and diving with a state meet with a unique feel.
The state meet will be contested Friday at Saturday at the Marshalltown YMCA with no fans in attendance over concerns with the global coronavirus pandemic.
A state meet without fans is another element of what has been an unusual season for Your Prep Sports area swimming teams that had their seasons paused for three weeks after Iowa City schools began the school year with online only classes.
There will be a live stream of the event available so swim fans across the state can follow along.
For area fans that will be locked into the action in Marshalltown on their computers and televisions here are a few things to watch involving Your Prep Sports area athletes.
The Team Race
West High posted its best team finish in more than a decade last season placing fourth at the state meet and has aspirations of climbing the team standings this season.
Standing in the way of West High reaching the top of the podium is a crowded field of contenders led perennial power Ames, up and comer Waukee and defending champion West Des Moines Dowling.
Dowling won the team title last season with 360 points, snapping a string of four consecutive titles for Ames.
The Little Cyclones have been champion or runner-up each of the past ten seasons claiming eight state titles during that stretch.
Ames is the favorite this season but Waukee who was fifth a year ago and West High have the top to bottom talent to figure into the mix in what is shaping up to be the tightest team race in recent history.
The team race hasn’t been decided by fewer than 32 points since 2014 when Pleasant Valley edged Ames by eight for the team title.
The 500 Freestyle
The longest race at the state meet could go a long way in determining the team race.
Title contenders West High, Ames and Waukee all have multiple qualifiers in the event with Ames and West High each with three participants.
This is a spot where West High can make up ground as West High has the defending champion Aurora Roghair among its three qualifiers all with top-eight qualifying times.
Roghair has the second fastest time among qualifiers at 4:54.35 trailing only Waukee sophomore Jessi Wigham.
Jade Roghair has the fourth fastest time while freshman Kolby Reese has the eighth fastest qualifying time.
Ames has three swimmers in the top 13 qualifying times.
The State Debut for Heidi Stalkfleet
An accomplished club swimmer Heidi Stalkfleet hasn’t disappointed in her first season of high school swimming.
Stalkfleet will compete in four events at the state meet and enters with top-four qualifying times in both of her individual events.
The junior standout owns the third fastest time in the state this season in the 500 freestyle at 5:01.48 and has the fourth-fastest time in the 100 fly in 57.65.
Stalkfleet is also a member of the City High 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams that both posted top-three finishes at the state qualifier on Saturday.
Aurora Appreciation Day
It has already been a memorable week for West High senior Aurora Roghair who signed her national letter of intent with Stanford on Wednesday.
Roghair will attempt to cap her week with another stellar finish at the state meet.
A two-event individual champion last season Roghair returns to the state meet to defend her titles in both the 200 and 500 freestyle.
Roghair already has a resume that ranks among the best in West High history.
She owns the second fastest time in state history in the 200 freestyle at 1:48.4 and the fifth fastest time in history in the 500 freestyle in 4:51.55.
With a win in either individual event on Saturday Roghair would become just the third swimmer in West High history to win the same event in back-to-back seasons.
Keeping Up With Scarlet
Scarlet Martin already ranks among the best swimmers in the state and the West High junior just seems to keep getting better.
Martin set pool records in both of her individual events at the state qualifier last week and enters the state meet with the top time in the state this season in both the 100 fly and the 100 backstroke.
Martin’s top time of 55.85 in the 100 backstroke this season is more than a second faster than Grace Frericks of Cedar Falls and she is even more dominant in the fly where her best time in 2020 of 54.11 is more three seconds faster than the next best effort.
Martin won the 100 fly last season in an all-time Iowa record time of 53.41 and will attempt to break her own record this weekend.
After winning a state title in the 200 IM last season Martin will try to win a third individual event this season adding the backstroke to her list of events.
Making a Run at the Relays
West High enters with top-four qualifying times in all three relay events and is a legit title contender in two.
The Trojans have the top time this season in both the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays and posted top-two qualifying marks in both at the state qualifiers last week.
West High’s top time this season in the 400 freestyle is nearly three seconds faster than the next best time posted by Waukee.
A key for West High could be the finish of its 200 medley relay team which is does not feature Aurora Roghair or Scarlet Martin.
The foursome of Ella Hochstetler, Olivia Taeger, Makala Hajek and Carlee Wilkins have the fourth fastest qualifying time at 1:49.61.
Fitting Finish for Rika
While newcomer Heidi Stalkfleet is seeking to make a splash in her state meet debut City High senior Rika Yahashiri will be looking for a fitting finale in her last appearance at state.
Yahashiri has enjoyed a stellar career while helping lead the City High squad to new heights over the past several season.
The Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division swimmer of the year this season, Yahashiri enters the state meet with top-15 qualifying times in two individual events.
Yahashiri has the ninth fastest time in the 100 breaststroke at 1:07.86 and posted the 14th fastest time from a state qualifier in the 50 freestyle at 24.58.
The senior is also part of both the City High 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams which enter with the 18th and 15th fastest qualifying times respectively.
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