It appears that Mandy Parton is already making a difference for the Ankeny girls’ swimming team.
Parton is in her first season coaching the Ankeny divers, and on Monday the Hawkettes opened their season with a strong performance in the Back to the Boards 2019 meet. The diving-only event was held at Des Moines Lincoln.
“This was an outstanding night for our divers and for Mandy,” said Ankeny coach Michelle Stout. “She brings a broad background to our team.”
Ankeny’s Sydney Jorgensen won the meet with 470.85 points. She finished nearly 50 points ahead of runner-up Ciara Wheeler of Johnston.
The Hawkettes also got a third-place finish from Dasha Toth, who racked up 381.45 points. Teammate Jocelyn Riley placed 13th with 251.30 points.
“I’m very proud of our divers tonight–opening the season with an 11-dive meet is a big challenge,” Parton said. “The divers competed well, stayed mentally focused and put into motion what we’ve worked on in practice. Sydney and Dasha are additions to the team this year and performed very well tonight. I look forward to a competitive season.”
Ankeny will host Waukee in its swimming opener on Sept. 3 at Trail Point Aquatics Center.