Hoeper to defend State 50-yard freestyle championship

Solon Economist

November 9, 2023

File photo

Grace Hoeper returns to the State Swimming and Diving Meet this weekend to defend her 50-yard freestyle title, and to compete in three other events.

MARION — Solon’s Grace Hoeper will defend her State 50-yard freestyle championship this weekend at the 2023 Girls State Swimming and Diving Meet in Marshalltown. Hoeper, a junior, won the event last year and is the No. 1 seed with a 23.41 seconds performance last Saturday (Nov. 4) in a state qualifying regional meet at Linn-Mar High School.
Hoeper also qualified with a runner up finish (50.57) in the 100-yard freestyle and will anchor the 2nd-place finishing 400-yard freestyle relay with City High’s Margalit Frank, Elsa Farber, and Saoirse Miller. Last year Miller, Frank, fellow Solonite Avery Mann, and Hoeper were 23rd at State. Hoeper will also swim the third leg of the 3rd-place (1:53.38) 200-yard medley relay with City’s Ellie Galloway, Miller, and Frank. The foursome finished 23rd last year at State.
Tatum Holtkamp (a senior), and Madelyn Elkins (a freshman) will join Farber and Frank in the 200-yard freestyle relay after a 5th-place (1:44.63) finish.
Holtkamp was 12th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:21.05) while Elkins took 11th in the 50-freestyle (26.92). Mann (a senior) was fifth in the 500-yard freestyle (5:46.67) and seventh in the 200-yard individual medley (2:26.63).
City High was third in team points behind Waukee (576), Linn-Mar (413), City High (276), Grinnell (184), CR Jefferson (177), Williamsburg (158), Tipton (118), Ottumwa (108), and Vinton-Shellsburg (77).
State Swimming and Diving Meet information
The 2023 Iowa Girls State Swimming and Diving Meet will be held Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10 and 11 at the Marshalltown YMCA/YWCA.
The State Preliminary Swimming Meet kicks off at 11:00 a.m. Friday with the State Diving Meet to follow at 4:30 p.m. Finals for the State Swimming Meet begin at Noon on Saturday.
For information on how to purchase tickets ($15, which includes the parking fee), a map to the Marshalltown Y, and details on live streaming of the events, go to https://ighsau.org.