Carson Beals and Ryne Downey

BOONE — The Marshalltown boys swimming team continued its strong start to the season with its first tournament win on Saturday, taking first in the Toreador Relays with a score of 79, 20 points higher than Carroll in second.

The Bobcats took first in nine of 11 events on the day, and every athlete who swam in a varsity race came away with at least one first-place finish.

MHS head coach Mike Loupee said it was good to see his guys compete so well, especially considering they’ve already swam twice this week.

“Traditionally over the last few years we always have two meets the week before and the last few years we’ve swam flat and were competitively tired,” Loupee said. “This year the guys came out with some excitement and more focus and we competed very well.”

The Bobcats took first in all three relays, with the 200-yard medley relay of Jacob Eberle, Blaine Gunderson, Caleb Summers and Marcus Barker winning with a time of one minute, 50.14 seconds, the 200 freestyle relay of Ryne Downey, Nash Perisho, Carson Beals and Summers winning with a 1:33.83 and the 400 freestyle relay of Downey, Beals, Perisho and Bryce Edens taking first with a 3:28.01.

The 400 freestyle relay cut its best time of the year by over a second, moving up to the seventh-best time in the state, and Loupee said the tone for the day was set by the medley relay.

“Those four guys [Eberle, Gunderson, Summers and Barker] really set the tone and that snowballed from there and we swam some great races,” Loupee said. “We competed very well and that had been the concern going in, they did really well.”

The individual races were set up as relays, so two Bobcats were able to place in the top spot for each one. Edens and Perisho took first in the 200 freestyle with a combined 3:50.03, with Edens swimming a 1:56.38 and Perisho putting up a 1:53.65.

Gunderson and Barker both won the 200 individual medley with a combined 4:38.44, with Gunderson touching the wall at 2:23.17 and Barker coming in at 2:15.27 for his fastest time of the season.

Downey and Beals combined to win the 50 freestyle with a 45.50. Downey swam a 22.94 and Beals had a 22.56, the fastest time on the team this season.

The pair combined to win the 100 freestyle as well with a 1:42.10, with Downey swimming a 51.70 and Beals a 50.40.

Tyler Downey and Bryce Edens were the top finishers in the 500 freestyle with a combined 11:07.41, and Barker and Gunderson won the 100 breaststroke with a combined 2:20.01.

“It was a fun win, they had a good time, I don’t know how many years it’s been since we won Boone but the guys had a good time,” Loupee said.

Marshalltown will be in action at home twice this week, starting with a home dual against Fort Dodge on Thursday and wrapping up with the Bobcat Invitational on Saturday.

Toreador Relays

At Boone

Team Standings — 1. Marshalltown 79, 2. Carroll 50, 3. Boone 38, 4. Williamsburg 27, 5. Atlantic 25.

EVENT RESULTS

(Champions plus MHS placewinners)

200 MEDLEY RELAY — 1. MHS (Eberle, Gunderson, Summers, Barker) 1:50.14.

2×200 FREESTYLE — 1. MHS (Edens, Perisho) 3:50.03.

2×200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — 1. MHS (Gunderson, Barker) 4:38.44.

2×50 FREESTYLE — 1. MHS (R. Downey, Beals) 45.50.

2×100 BUTTERFLY — 1. W (McGrath, Strank) 1:52.74, 2. MHS (Perisho, Summers) 1:58.22.

2×100 FREESTYLE — 1. MHS (R. Downey, Beals) 1:42.10.

2×500 FREESTYLE — 1. MHS (T. Downey, Edens) 11:07.41.

200 FREESTYLE RELAY — 1. MHS (R. Downey, Summers, Perisho, Beals) 1:33.83.

2×100 BACKSTROKE — 1. B (Lee, Sherry) 2:03.31, 2. MHS (Eberle, Summers) 2:06.62.

4×100 BREASTSTROKE — 1. MHS (Barker, Gunderson) 2:20.01.

400 FREESTYLE RELAY — 1. MHS (R. Downey, Edens, Beals, Perisho) 3:28.01.