Carson Beals

OTTUMWA — The Marshalltown boys’ swimming team won eight of 11 events en route to a pair of lopsided victories on Thursday night.

The Bobcats defeated host Ottumwa, 64-27, as well as first-year program Centerville, 79-5, to improve to 5-0 on the season.

“With the long drive and non-consistent competition it was hard for the guys to focus through the entire meet,” said Marshalltown head coach Mike Loupee. “We got a little bit of a relaxed attitude and some of the times reflected that, but when we had a chance to race we did it, we did a nice job with that.”

The Bobcats logged 38 season-best times and 13 lifetime-bests, according to Loupee, who pointed to one time in particular as a standout performance from the night.

“In the 100 freestyle, Carson Beals went up against a real strong swimmer from Ottumwa and won a close race 49.68 (seconds) to 50.41,” Loupee said, “and to break 50 seconds this early in the year, that’s a pretty big deal for Carson and bodes well for his continued improvement and what we can expect from him down the road.”

Beals also posted a season-best time in his 1-2 finish with teammate Nash Perisho in the 200 freestyle. Beals clocked in at 1:54.34 and Perisho was barely out-touched at 1:55.12.

Stephen Blom and Tyler Downey both dropped between three and four seconds in their 1-2 finish for Marshalltown in the 500 freestyle. The Bobcat duo was uncontested in the event but still put up their low times for the winter so far.

Aaron Seberger’s race with Ottumwa’s Kevin Kretz, a state qualifier a year ago, in the 50 freestyle was a highlight for Loupee, too, in spite of Seberger’s second-place result.

“That was a really good swim for Aaron against a state qualifier,” he said.

Seberger got his gold in the 100 backstroke (1:03.35) as well as on the 200 freestyle relay with Marcus Barker, Perisho and Beals (1:34.65). The foursome of Perisho, Downey, Beals and Barker took the top spot in the 400 freestyle relay as well (3:36.25).

Barker won the 200 individual medley (2:13.03) and Perisho took the 100 butterfly (57.59) for the Bobcats.

Ottumwa captured the three events Marshalltown didn’t, with newcomer Centerville simply completing its first swim competition.

“As a former president of the Iowa High School Swim Coaches Association, it’s always good to see a new program,” Loupee said of the Big Reds.

The Bobcats are back in the pool on Saturday, traveling to Boone to take part in the Toreador Relays at 10 a.m.

Marshalltown 64, Ottumwa 27

Marshalltown 79, Centerville 5

At Ottumwa

EVENT RESULTS

(Champion plus MHS placewinner)

200 MEDLEY RELAY — 1. OTT (Barras, Ehrenhard, Kretz, Shively), 1:50.07; 2. MHS (Seberger, Keeler, Blom, Benscoter), 1:51.72.

200 FREESTYLE — 1. Carson Beals, MHS, 1:54.34; 2. Nash Perisho, MHS, 1:55.12.

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — 1. Marcus Barker, MHS, 2:13.03; Stephen Blom, MHS, 2:23.28.

50 FREESTYLE — 1. Kevin Kretz, OTT, 22.80; 2. Aaron Seberger, MHS, 23.32; 3. Tyler Downey, MHS, 24.64.

100 BUTTERFLY — 1. Perisho, MHS, 57.59; 3. Caleb Jones, MHS, 1:27.30.

100 FREESTYLE — 1. Beals, MHS, 49.68; 3. Brock Keeler, MHS, 55.18.

500 FREESTYLE — 1. Blom, MHS, 5:33.14; 2. Downey, MHS, 5:33.53.

200 FREESTYLE RELAY — 1. MHS (Seberger, Barker, Perisho, Beals), 1:34.65.

100 BACKSTROKE — 1. Seberger, MHS, 1:03.35; 2. Dane Petty, MHS, 1:04.49.

100 BREASTSTROKE — 1. Spencer Ehrenhard, OTT, 1:06.96; 2. Barker, MHS, 1:07.33; 3. Keeler, MHS, 1:13.67.

400 FREESTYLE RELAY — 1. MHS (Perisho, Downey, Beals, Barker), 3:36.25.