Iowa Women’s High School State Championships

By Brian Savard

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa, November 8. WEST Des Moines Valley rewrote the record books, garnered numerous All-American honors and dominated throughout both days of the Iowa Women's State Championship meet.

West Des Moines Valley stood just less than 200 points ahead of the second-place team, Marshalltown. West Des Moines Valley accumulated an astounding 387 points and won all three relays while Marshalltown earned 189 points. Mason City fell just short of second place, settling for a third-place point total of 184.

The West Des Moines Valley women wasted no time, setting a record and earning an All-American standard in the meet's first event. The 200 medley relay team of Danielle Harris, Imelda Wistey, Alexa Mehesan and Kelsey Galles combined stroke talents en route to finishing in a 1:46.72 state-record time. West Des Moines Valley held the former record of 1:48.40 that the contingent of Cassandra Nelson, Rachel Nathanson, Mindy Schulte and Sarah Best set back in 2002.

West Des Moines Valley fielded the third-best 200 freestyle relay time (1:33.83) in the history of U.S. high school swimming with the foursome of Lisa Nathanson, Danielle Harris, Lindsey Lamair and Mehesan. Nathanson led off the relay splitting a 23.38, and the speed would carry on throughout the relay to Mehesan, who split a blistering 22.43 anchor leg. West Des Moines Valley reset its own record that Mehesan, McKensie Carr, Lisa Nathanson and Galles set at last year's state meet.

Lisa Nathanson, Galles, Allison Harding and Lamair just missed the All-American automatic cut time in the 400 freestyle relay but captured the event by more than three seconds nonetheless with a 3:34.61 time.

Mehesan, who received her third swimmer of the year award, won two individual events and set an Iowa record for most career state titles with 12 total. Mehesan broke the 23 barrier in the 50 freestyle and set a state record in the process, clocking a decisive 22.92 time. The swim reset the record that Mehesan set in 2005 (23.69).

Her reign of the top podium spot continued with a broken 100 butterfly record. Mehesan erased the oldest record in the books by a large margin with a 54.57 swim. Ann Walker of Des Moines Roosevelt set the former standard of 56.31 in 1984.

Lisa Nathanson broke an 11-year-old record in the 100 freestyle, shaving .01 off the former mark. Her time of 51.55 erased the 1996 record of 51.56 set by Stacey Wertz of Cedar Falls NU.

Stephanie Koch of Ames broke the long string of West Des Moines Valley glory with victories in both longer-distance freestyle events and earned a state record and an All-American standard in the 200 freestyle. She stood atop the podium in both the 200 freestyle (1:50.92) and the 500 freestyle (5:03.59). Her 200 freestyle performance took out the former state record of 1:51.81 that Wertz set in 1996.

Bethany Olson of Cedar Falls bested the diving competition, earning the gold medal with a 465.10 score. Lauren Naeve of Ames took second (458.50) while Sarah Nelson of Decorah placed third (420.80).

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