Last year, four Bishop Heelan students qualified as state swimming qualifiers for the Sioux City Metros team. This year, there are five.
Crusaders senior Scarlett Walsh will join Natalie Patee, Grace Aesoph, Brigid McGowan and Maria McGowan when the Metros compete at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state meet on Friday and Saturday in Marshalltown, Iowa.
Walsh will swim at the state meet for the first time, and it’s two weeks removed from being part of the Heelan girls cross country team that placed 10th in Class 3A.
Patee, meanwhile, is competing in four different events this weekend, two individual and two relays. She is seeded second in the 200-yard freestyle with a seed time of 1 minute, 51.67 seconds. The Crusader sophomore also is seeded third in the 100 freestyle at 52.15 seconds. Both of those times set new Metro records.
Patee was named regional swimmer of the year at last week’s regional meet.
The Metros are seeded fourth in two relays: The 200 free relay and the 400 free. Patee, Brigid McGowan and Aesoph will be the Heelan representatives in this race.
In the 400 free, Patee will lead off the race, then Aesoph swims third.
Here’s the full look at the state qualifiers where there are Crusaders:
200 medley relay: Brigid McGowan, Walsh, Maria McGowan
200 freestyle: Patee
200 individual medley: Brigid McGowan
100 butterfly: Aesoph
100 freestyle: Patee
500 freestyle: Walsh
200 free relay: Patee, Brigid McGowan, Aesoph
100 backstroke: Aesoph
100 breaststroke: Brigid McGowan
400 free relay: Patee, Aesoph