T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - The Marshalltown girls’ swimming and diving team is sending seven competitors to the state championships Friday and Saturday at the Marshalltown YMCA/YWCA. Pictured, from left, are: Kate Hauser, Averie Wittkop, Rachel Case, Maisie Gummert, Leia Hernandez, Lesli Waltermire and Abby Tollefson.

Marshalltown girls swimming and diving heads into this weekend’s state meet with a small, but experienced group led by three seniors making their fourth-consecutive appearances at the big meet in their backyard at the Marshalltown YMCA/YWCA.

Swimmers Lesli Waltermire and Averie Wittkop, and diver Abby Tollefson will all add a fourth tally to their state resumes this weekend.

Wittkop will compete in the 50-yard freestyle prelims in Friday’s 11 a.m. morning session and Tollefson will compete alongside junior Kate Hauser in Friday night’s diving finals starting at 4:30 p.m.; Waltermire and Wittkop will compete on Marshalltown’s two state-qualifying relays during the swimming finals on Saturday, which begin at noon.

“It’s fantastic to have something going on in every session of the state meet,” said MHS swim coach Angie Nelson. “The atmosphere at the state meet is very electric and it’s a great thing for these girls to be a part of.”

Wittkop added, “I’ve been swimming there since I was a little kid, so it brings back a lot of memories for me.”

One of the biggest storylines will unfold on Friday night, as Tollefson takes aim at a state diving title as the returning runner-up from last year and the girl leading the state all year in the 11-dive event.

“Going into my junior year, I just wanted to do my best and got second,” Tollefson said. “So I’m just going to try and do my best again this year. I’m just really looking forward to getting out there and doing the dives that I’ve been practicing.”

Tollefson has set the MHS Pool and school record in Marshalltown this season with a 588.45 at the Iowa Alliance meet and qualified for state as the top seed with a 556.35 at the regional meet in Ames. Iowa City West’s Kamila Swanson was the next closest at 490.80.

“She knows everyone else in the diving competition and just works out her nerves talking to all those girls,” Nelson said. “Once she gets on the board, she has a drive and an edge that most girls just don’t, and it’s been fun to watch her develop over the last four years. … She just needs to take all that magic she’s put together this season and carry it on through the meet, and she’ll end up right where she needs to be.”

Having a fellow Bobcat diver join her again this year in Hauser is a welcome bonus. Hauser returns to state diving after a 26th-place finish as a sophomore.

“We’ve all had a great season and got personal records this year,” Tollefson said of her fellow divers on the team. “I’m really excited to see how Kate does as well because I know she was hoping to make it far last year and I hope she can make it through the cuts.”

Hauser will be the sixth of 32 divers starting Friday’s finals. Tollefson will be the 29th diver. The diving finals begin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

In addition to Wittkop’s 50 freestyle bid, the Bobcats have qualified for the 200 and 400 freestyle relay.

Waltermire, Rachel Case, Leia Hernandez and Wittkop had a season-best time of 1:43.64 to qualify with the 22nd-best time in the state in the 200 free relay.

The 400 freestyle relay had the 28th best time in the state in 3:51.83, with Wittkop, Maisie Gummert, Hernandez and Waltermire on the freestyle legs.

Wittkop feels some nerves knowing that she has to qualify for Saturday’s finals, especially in a fast race like the 50 free, where she only qualified by .04 seconds.

“I’m hoping to drop some more time,” Wittkop said. “I just have to have a better flip turn than I did at regionals.”

Wittkop will compete in the first of four preliminary heats, with a regional time of 25.13 that was the 30th-best of the 32 qualifiers.

“Averie’s not much of a 50 or 100 swimmer, but is just one of those that’s good at every event,” Nelson said. “She’s gonna do a great job and she’s got a lot more left to give, she’s super strong and in great condition, so I look for her to be able to drop a little more time.”

Nelson said the goal’s the same in the relays – scoring team points could be out of the question but there’s time to be shaved.

“Getting a good exchange off the person coming in, getting that turn and keeping the arms moving fast and kicking,” said Waltermire for the key to cutting time. “It’s an all-out sprint, so you don’t really have to think about it too much.”

The Bobcat seniors are ready to wield their knowledge and delight the home crowd on Friday and Saturday.

“One thing I’ve learned is that everyone’s nervous there, not just you,” Waltermire said. “Everyone’s going through the same thing. … Knowing that we’re here has kinda lifted it off our shoulders and we just want to finish the season and have fun.”

Girls State Swimming & Diving

Friday, Nov. 10

State swimming preliminaries, 11 a.m.

State diving finals, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 11

State swimming finals, Noon