Leia Hernandez

MASON CITY — Marshalltown junior Leia Hernandez swam a season-best time to win the 100-yard freestyle at the Iowa Alliance Conference meet on Thursday at Mason City High School.

The Bobcats finished second in the nine-team invitational behind only Ames. The Little Cyclones scored 432.5 points to claim the conference crown, while Marshalltown garnered silver with 275 points. Mason City (129) held off Des Moines North (127) for third.

Hernandez clocked in at 55.96 seconds to earn the Bobcats’ lone gold medal for the week, winning the 100 freestyle by a half-second ahead of Ames senior Lily Van Der Linden (56.44). Fellow Bobcats Addison Elmore and Libby Meyer placed fourth and sixth with respective times of 59.23 and 1:02.22.

MHS senior Maisie Gummert got second in the 500 freestyle with her season-best time of 5:42.40. Drea Ceren was eighth for the Bobcats in 5:57.49, also a season best.

Marshalltown trailed only Ames in all three relay races. The Bobcat quartet of Elmore, Adele Beek, Emma Case and Rachel Case claimed second in the 200 individual medley in 2:00.70; Rachel Case, Beek, Ceren and Hernandez scored silver in the 200 freestyle relay (1:46.06); and Elmore, Ceren, Emma Case and Hernandez finished just one second back of Ames (3:53.55) in the 400 freestyle relay (3:54.58).

Harlie Thatcher earned second in Tuesday’s conference diving competition with an 11-dive total of 364.05. Molly Engelman (392.8) and Lucy York (386.80), both of Ames, led the field.

Beek brought home bronze in the breaststroke (1:13.09), while Gummert (2:09.86) and Ceren (2:11.03) finished 3-4 in the 200 freestyle.

Emma Case added fourth-place finishes in both the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly, while Hernandez picked up fourth place in the 50 freestyle. Beek earned fifth in the individual medley, while Rachel Case and Meyer finished 5-7 in the 50 free. Elmore picked up points for seventh place in the 100 backstroke.

The Bobcats are back in action Thursday, Nov. 6, when they host the regional diving competition at 5 p.m. at the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA. The regional swim meet is Saturday, Nov. 8, at noon.