Swimmers celebrate Senior Night

Swimmers celebrate Senior Night

KELLY TERPSTRA Ottumwa Courier

OTTUMWA — What a season it’s been for Ottumwa Bulldog swim fans – and it’s not over yet.

The Ottumwa girls swim team celebrated Senior Night on Tuesday at The Beach Ottumwa in the final regular season meet of the fall versus Des Moines Lincoln.

The Railsplitters (6-4, 3-2) won the meet over Stephanie Carroll’s Bulldogs, 106-64. The final score was a minor sidebar, as this night was about paying homage to a landmark 2011 campaign that the Bulldogs were able to orchestrate.

The OHS girls team exceeded expectations this year and racked up three victories after not having won a meet in six years. Ottumwa didn’t even have a girls swim team from 2006-2009.

“We won a couple meets from the sheer fact that we had more depth this year than we have had in the past,” said Carroll.

Ottumwa (3-6, 2-3) almost swam its way to a fourth win last week versus Keokuk. The Purple Chiefs just slipped past OHS, 85-83.

Participation got it done this year for Ottumwa. If the numbers can continue to rise, along with a willing commitment to get better — the sky’s the limit for this Wapello County bunch.

“It just speaks that this is something that people want to get involved with. The more we can encourage that, the stronger we’re gonna’ be,” said Carroll.

Ottumwa brought 17 swimmers to the pool on Tuesday, a substantial increase in size compared to last year’s roster. Lincoln sent 13 swimmers down to Wapello County on this night.

Ottumwa senior foreign-exchange student Maren Melvold won the 100 freestyle for the Bulldogs in 1:02.08. The swimmer from Norway’s infectious and bubbly personality was a welcome addition to Carroll’s bunch.

“She is quite the character. She brings a lot of enthusiasm and spunkiness to the team — which is great,” said Carroll. “What a great surprise she was.”

Melvold was also second in the breaststroke (1:20.01). Megan Black, a junior from Eddyville-Blakesburg, was third in the event, touching out at 1:23.4.

OHS soph Jill Ardueser was runner-up in the 200 freestyle in 2:28.87 and third in the 500 freestyle (6:44.24).

Freshman Caroline Carlson hit the wall in second place in the 50 freestyle (28.96). Carlson also worked her way to a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle (1:04).

Sophomore Maranda Rupalo, from Centerville, notched two second-place finishes. She wound up runner-up in the backstroke (1:12.02) and the butterfly (1:11.35). Rupalo’s little sister, freshman Marissa, splashed her way to third in the butterfly (1:15.77).

Claire Carlson, a freshman, continued to show strides in the pool with a third-place finish in the backstroke (1:15.71).

Ottumwa placed second in all three of its relays. The Bulldogs 200 medley relay clipped out at 2:13.4 with the team of Claire Carlson, Melvold, Marissa Rupalo and Caroline Carlson. OHS’ 200 freestyle relay produced a 1:56.08 clip. The team members were Claire Carlson, Marissa Rupalo, Maranda Rupalo and Caroline Carlson. The Bulldogs’ 400 free relay (4:53.12) was comprised of Ardueser, Claire Carlson, Bethany Knox and Whitney Dostal.

Seniors recognized for Ottumwa were Amber Johnson, who hails from Wayne, Zana Lippincott, Melvold and foreign-exchange student Camilla Guldager. Guldager is from Denmark.

Ottumwa competes in the CIML Metro Conference meet at Des Moines Roosevelt this Thursday. Then it’s off to the regional meet on Saturday, Oct. 29.



Des Moines Lincoln at Ottumwa girls swimming

at The Beach Ottumwa

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011

Team Scores — Des Moines Lincoln 106, Ottumwa 64.

Results

200 Medley Relay — 1. Lincoln (Abby Harrison, Brittany Purscell, Autumn Song, Abigail Contreras) 2:03.22; 2. Ottumwa (Claire Carlson, Maren Melvold, Marissa Rupalo, Caroline Carlson) 2:13.40; 4. Ottumwa (Amber Johnson, Kenzie McCoy, Shayla Wolver, Whitney Dostal) 2:24.86.

200 Freestyle — 1. Alex Bennett (DML) 2:25.25, 2. Jill Arduser (OTT) 2:28.87, 5. Camilla Guldager (OTT) 2:46.86, 7. Bethany Knox (OTT) 2:50.0.

200 Individual Medley — 1. Autumn Song (DML) 2:36.73, 4. Megan Black (OTT) 2:54.35, 5. Danielle Noe (OTT) 2:54.87.

50 Freestyle — 1. Brittany Purscell (DML) 26.48, 2. Caroline Carlson (OTT) 28.96, 4. Danielle Noe (OTT) 30.28, 6. Zana Lippincott (OTT) 34.25.

100 Butterfly — 1. Autumn Song (DML) 1:08.60, 2. Maranda Rupalo (OTT) 1:11.35, 3. Marissa Rupalo (OTT) 1:15.77, 5. Shayla Wolver (OTT) 1:29.77.

100 Freestyle — 1. Maren Melvold (OTT) 1:02.08, 3. Caroline Carlson (OTT) 1:04.00, 6. Amber Johnson (OTT) 1:09.61, 7. Callie Lawson (OTT) 1:35.47.

500 Freestyle — 1. Alex Bennett (DML) 6:28.79, 3. Jill Arduser (OTT) 6:44.24, 4. Kenzie McCoy (OTT) 6:53.15.

200 Free Relay — 1. Lincoln (Brittany Purscell, Abby Harrison, Abigail Contreras, Autumn Song) 1:53.66, 2. Ottumwa (Claire Carlson, Marissa Rupalo, Maranda Rupalo, Caroline Carlson) 1:56.08, 4. Ottumwa (Megan Black, Katie Zingg, Kenzie McCoy, Danielle Noe) 2:11.54, 5. Ottumwa (Shayla Wolver, Callie Lawson, Zana Lippincott, Camilla Guldagger) 2:27.15.

100 Backstroke — 1. Abby Harrison (DML) 1:10.34, 2. Maranda Rupalo (OTT) 1:13.02, 3. Claire Carlson (OTT) 1:15.71, 6. Amber Johnson (OTT) 1:20.11.

100 Breaststroke — 1. Brittany Purscell (DML) 1:08.77, 2. Maren Melvold (OTT) 1:20.01, 3. Megan Black (OTT) 1:23.40, 4. Kenzie McCoy (OTT) 1:25.40.

400 Free Relay — 1. Lincoln (Alex Bennett, Evan Chindley, Jordan Greenwood, Torie Dotts) 4:30.37, 2. Ottumwa (Jill Arduser, Claire Carlson, Bethany Knox, Whitney Dostal) 4:53.12, 4. Ottumwa (Amber Johnson, Zana Lippencott, Camilla Guldager, Maren Melvold) 5:00.51.

Junior Varsity Results

50 Freestyle — 1. Bethany Knox (OTT) 33.52, 2. Katie Zingg (OTT) 38.08, 3. Callie Lawson (OTT) 42.00.

100 Breaststroke — 1. Katie Zing (OTT) 1:30.31, 2. Whitney Dostal (OTT) 1:39.47.