Bryce Edens

WEST DES MOINES — The perfect season came to an end for the Marshalltown boys swimming team on Thursday as it suffered its first loss of the year to West Des Moines Valley, 111-59.

The Tigers came in ranked sixth in the team power rankings, while the Bobcats currently sit in 11th, and MHS head coach Mike Loupee said this was his team’s first real shot at being an underdog.

“We needed a measuring stick and we got it,” Loupee said after the loss. “Valley’s a very quality team and we swam pretty alright.”

Freshman Bryce Edens was the lone individual win for Marshalltown on the evening, as he took top honors in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of five minutes, 6.66 seconds, just a tenth of a second off his fastest time of the year. Edens also finished second in the 200 freestyle with a 1:51.30.

Senior Blaine Gunderson dropped nearly two seconds in the 100 breaststroke to finish third with a 1:07.54, Carson Beals was second in the 100 freestyle with a new season-best time of 50.18, Nash Perisho was third in the 100 backstroke with a lifetime-best 1:02.74 and Caleb Summers finished third in the 100 butterfly with a 58.76. Freshman Marcus Barker took fifth in the 100 butterfly with a 59.93, his first time going under one minute in the race in his high school career.

Marshalltown did get a win in the 200 freestyle relay with the team of Ryne Downey, Barker, Perisho and Beals swimming a 1:33.91, and the 400 freestyle relay team of Perisho, Edens, Downey and Beals finished second with a new season-best time of 3:24.99.

Loupee said his guys got a taste of what it takes to be a top team, and that will benefit them in the long run.

“Where we’re at there’s a step up if you’re going to be in the top five,” Loupee said.

The Bobcats return to the pool next Thursday where they will host No. 2 Waukee at the MHS pool for their final home meet of the season.