‘This was not our night’: Ankeny swimmers drop 92-78 decision to Dowling Catholic

Ankeny’s Noah Kearney begins the third leg of the 200 freestyle relay during Tuesday’s dual meet against visiting Dowling Catholic at Trail Point Aquatics Center. The Hawks placed second in the event with a time of 1:33.62 and went on to drop a 92-78 decision in the CIML Conference matchup. (Photo courtesy of Jim Howard)

The Ankeny boys’ swimming team won’t have any time to dwell on Tuesday’s loss to visiting Dowling Catholic.

The 11th-ranked Maroons won eight of the 11 events, including all three relays, and posted a 92-78 victory over No. 6 Ankeny at Trail Point Aquatics Center. The loss dropped the Hawks’ records to 1-3 in the CIML Conference and 2-3 overall.

“This was not our night. It was frustrating and disappointing, but we have to move forward,” said Ankeny coach Dustin Rhoads, whose team will also host No. 14 Southeast Polk on Thursday and No. 1 Cedar Falls on Saturday. “Credit to Dowling–they came ready to compete and were the better team tonight.”

Ankeny’s Bryer Pearson swims to a victory in the 100 butterfly during Tuesday’s meet. He posted a time of 52.83 seconds. Pearson earlier won the 50 freestyle in 22.85. (Photo courtesy of Jim Howard)

Bryer Pearson provided two of Ankeny’s three victories. He won the 50 freestyle in 22.85 seconds, then took the 100 butterfly in 52.83.

Brock Peterson had the Hawks’ other first-place finish. He won the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:04.27 after placing second in the 200 individual medley in 2:01.98.

Austin Troyer was the runner-up in the 50 freestyle behind Pearson. He was clocked in 23.15.

Noah Kearney placed second in the 100 freestyle in 52.03. Finn Stukerjurgen later finished second in the 100 backstroke in 55.29.

**Ankeny’s Finn Stukerjurgen takes off at the start of the 100 backstroke during Tuesday’s meet. He placed second in the event with a time of 55.29 seconds. (Photo courtesy of Jim Howard)**

Stukerjurgen was edged by Dowling’s Ben Susil by .24 seconds.

“This group is talented and works and competes hard, but it takes the entire group to swim well for us to have success and win overall,” Rhoads said. “You can’t have an off night in the CIML. There were two or three races we could have and should have won. We just have to be better.”

The closest race of the meet came in the 200 freestyle relay, where Dowling posted a winning time of 1:33.42. The Ankeny foursome of Pearson, Troyer, Kearney and Sam Howard placed second in 1:33.62.

**Ankeny’s Jake Smith swims the breaststroke leg of the 200 medley relay during Tuesday’s meet. The Hawks placed second in the event with a time of 1:41.88. (Photo courtesy of Jim Howard)**

The Hawks opened the meet with a runner-up finish in the 200 medley relay. The quartet of Peterson, Jake Smith, Pearson and Stukerjurgen was clocked in 1:41.88.

Ankeny later placed second in the 400 freestyle relay. The team of Troyer, Stukerjurgen, Peterson and Smith posted a time of 3:24.62.

“We were sluggish,” Rhoads said. “I could probably give a lot of reasons why we didn’t swim well tonight, but we are not going to make excuses. We have to be better, and that starts with me. Our biggest goals are still ahead of us and don’t consist of any certain dual meet win.

“The good news is we have two more meets this week to compete in. Southeast Polk will be hungry to try to beat us on Thursday, and then we face the No. 1 team in the state on Saturday. I look forward to how this group is going to respond,” he added.