Freshman Sophie Loeffler helped the Ankeny girls’ swimming to a fifth-place finish in the state meet on Saturday at Marshalltown. She placed sixth in the 200 freestyle (1:55.68) and 11th in the 500 freestyle (5:13.43).
Loeffler helped the Hawkettes to a ninth-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay, swimming the anchor leg in 24.42 seconds. She swam the opening leg of the 400 freestyle relay in 54.26 as Ankeny closed out the meet with an eighth-place finish in that event.
Here is some inside info on Loeffler:
Congratulations on an outstanding season. Are you satisfied with everything that you accomplished?
Thank you. Yes, I am satisfied. I think this season was really great, and it definitely pushed me as an athlete and a person and I am proud of myself and the team.
Was there a favorite moment from this season that sticks out in your mind?
There were a lot of really fun moments this season, but I think the state meet as a whole was my favorite. I am a very competitive person, and the atmosphere of the whole event was amazing.
When the season began, did you ever imagine that you’d finish your freshman year on the awards podium?
Going into the season, I had a pretty good idea that I would make state since I have been swimming with most of these girls for a long time, but I never imagined that I could make the podium.
You competed against teammate Maddie Carleton in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events, something that you did often this season. Did it help to have a teammate to push you along the way?
Definitely. Maddie and I trained together all season, and we were constantly pushing each other to be better both during practice and at meets.
You also swam on the 200 and 400 freestyle relays that earned top-10 finishes. Did you think those teams had a chance to get on the podium as well?
Yeah, I absolutely believe we could have, but unfortunately we added a little bit (of time) from regionals and other teams dropped. It wasn’t the finish we hoped for, but I am very proud of both teams.
Were you happy with your team’s overall fifth-place finish?
Yes, I was. We only had three individuals and one relay on the podium. As our coach said, we didn’t have any specific standouts getting first place. Our team has a lot of depth, and it was a huge team effort. I am proud of the whole team.
You’ve obviously made the biggest impact in the distance freestyle events. Which of the other strokes do you like the most, and are there some other events that you’d like to compete in as you get older?
I really like butterfly and backstroke, too. In club I race in backstroke a lot, but butterfly was new for me this year. The 100 butterfly would be an event I’d like to try.
Are there any strokes that you don’t like?
Breaststroke. My breaststroke is definitely one I struggle with.
I know it’s a few years away, but do you think you’d like to swim in college?
It’s hard to imagine what I’ll do in the future. I also play soccer and run track, but I’ve always seen myself doing a sport in college.
Your team will lose some talented seniors. Do you think next year’s squad will be able to contend for another top-five finish at state?
There’s no doubt we’re losing a lot of talented seniors, and I’m not sure who’s really coming up for us. It’ll be tough next year for sure. But we did have a big freshmen class and have some people that could definitely step up and help.