The Iowa Lakes Swimming Team will be traveling to Buffalo, New York to compete at the National Tournament from Wednesday, March 6 to Saturday, March 9. The days are long with preliminaries beginning at 9:30 each morning and finals beginning at 5:30 each evening. The top 16 individuals from the preliminaries in each event advance to the finals.
First year Head Coach Todd Peters understands the importance of each event, "Every point matters at the national meet so choosing the right events and the relay participants is crucial. The Laker Women finished in 6th place last year, just 9 points out of 3rd and we are hoping to flip that result this year and finish in the top five. We believe all our athletes have the ability to finish in the top 16 in every individual event they are entered. If we advance to finals in the majority of individual events and have strong relays, both our men's and women's team have the ability to finish in the top five teams."
The Laker Men will have four athletes competing at nationals. Jacob Bohnert will compete at the 50 yard backstroke as well as the freestyle at 100, 200, and 500 yards. Juan Briseno will compete in the 50 yard breaststroke as well as the butterfly at 50, 100, and 200 yards. Gabriel Carmona will swim the individual medley at both 100 and 200 yards and the breaststroke at 100 and 200 yards. Garrett Nielson will compete in the freestyle at 50 and 100 yards and the butterfly at 100 and 200 yards. All four athletes will also combine to compete in four relay races: the free relay at 200 and 400 yards as well as the medley relay at 200 and 400 yards.
The Laker women will have five athletes competing at the national tournament. Ashley Commens will compete in the 50 and 100 yard breaststrokes, 50 yard butterfly, and the 100 yard individual medley. Liz Crewe-Brown will compete in the 200 and 400 yard individual medleys and the 100 and 200 yard backstrokes. Gabriela Reis will compete in the 200 and 400 individual medleys and the 100 and 200 yard breaststrokes. Mavi Valentin will compete in the freestyle at 500, 1000, and 1650 yards. Juliana Villa Rodriguez will compete in the backstroke at 50, 100, and 200 yards and the 200 yard freestyle. The women will also combine to compete in five relay races. Crewe-Brown, Reis, Valentin, and Villa Rodriguez will compete in the 800 yard freestyle relay and the 400 yard medley relay. Commens, Reis, Valentin, and Villa Rodriguez will compete in the 200 yard freestyle relay. Commens, Crewe-Brown, Reis, and Valentin will compete in the 200 yard medley relay. Commens, Crewe-Brown, Valentin, and Villa Rodriguez will compete in the 400 yard freestyle relay.
The National Tournament will take place at the Erie Community College Burt Flickinger Athletic Center in Buffalo, New York.
PHOTO ID: Photo of 2018-2019 swim team attached.
MEDIA: For more information, please contact Head Men's & Women's Swimming Coach Todd Peters at (712) 852-5209 or the Iowa Lakes sports information office at (712) 362-7928.