Coe Edges Simpson 93-91 In Women's Swimming Action
Coe College (2-4, 1-2 IIAC) defeated Simpson College (1-3, 0-2 IIAC) 93-91 in an Iowa Conference women's swimming dual Jan. 23 in Indianola.
Simpson opened the meet with a victory in the 200m medley relay as the team of Catherine Mayes (Fr., Muscatine, Iowa, Muscatine H.S.), Mackenzie Hinrichs (So., Altoona, Iowa, Southeast Polk H.S.), Chelsy Croson (Sr., Newton, Iowa, Newton H.S.), and Ali Robinson (Fr., Atlantic, Iowa, Atlantic H.S.) earn a victory in a time of 2:29.80.
Ainslee Barnes won the 800m freestyle in the first individual race of the dual. Janie Kobylinski (Fr., Waseca, Minn., Waseca H.S.) came in second for Simpson (12:48.82). In the 200m freestyle Coe's Darci Schultz won the race as three Storm athletes; Andrea Benson (So., Conrad, Iowa, BCLUW H.S.), Kendra Frush (Sr., Jesup, Iowa, Jesup H.S.), and Amanda Fichter (So., Sidney, Iowa, Sidney H.S.) rounded out the top four.
The Kohawks' Anya Gersib won the 50m freestyle (:30.43) as Kirsten Towne (Sr., Gowrie, Iowa, Prairie Valley H.S.) was second (:31.23). Kayla Miller (So., Odebolt, Iowa, Odebolt-Arthur H.S. (fourth), and Hinrichs (fifth) also scored for the Storm in the event. Mayes won the 200m IM in a time of 2:51.80. Frush (fourth) was the other Simpson scorer in the race for the Storm. Croson won the 100m butterfly with a time of 1:18.13. Towne was third while Fichter was fourth for Simpson in the race.
Anya Gersib led a 1-2 for Coe in the 100m freestyle as Robinson, Miller, and Kobylinski completed the top five for Simpson. Mayes won the 100m backstroke as she tallied a time of 1:20.93. Barnes won the 400m freestyle with Benson and Kobylinski coming in second and third respectively. Amanda Ickes won the final individual race, the 100m breaststroke with Croson, Towne, and Hinrichs going 2-3-4 for the Storm.
The meet came down to the final event, the 200m freestyle relay which saw the Kohawks' squad of Barnes, Schultz, Ickes, and Gersib post a time of 2:05.80 as the Storm (Fichter/Frush/Miller/Robinson) charted a time of 2:14.25.
"We lost a tough meet," said Simpson head coach Aaron Strain. "(The team) put on a great effort to take Coe down to the last relay. We came up just short. (The team) gave a great effort (tonight).