The Ankeny girls’ swimmers returned home from Iowa City on Friday with their heads held high.
Ankeny placed 21st with 28 points in the two-day state meet at the University of Iowa Campus Recreation & Wellness Center. The team scored more points than it did in 2024 and 2025 combined.
“Overall, we had a great experience at state this year,” said Ankeny’s Charlie Villhauer. “We took 15 girls, seven of which are underclassmen, and had more finalists than in the past (two years). We still have a lot to be proud of even if the points weren’t there.”
Dowling Catholic racked up 294 points to capture its third consecutive crown. Cedar Falls was the runner-up with 209, while Bettendorf and Waukee Northwest tied for third with 181.
Ankeny scored points in six of the 10 events in which it qualified for state.
“We had an exciting couple days over there,” said Ankeny coach Dustin Rhoads. “I was really proud of the girls for how hard they competed. They have had a really good last few weeks with all of them going at least one lifetime best time. I was especially proud of our four seniors–Allie Breuner, Kylee Stone, Isla Corron and Kambelle Subbert–for their performances the last two meets and their leadership toward the group. Most of the girls were able to go a little faster or were just off their regional times so that was great!”
Ankeny’s Jordyn Robbins earned a spot atop the awards podium by winning the 100 backstroke para event with a time of 2:19.64. She was the runner-up in the 50 freestyle para event in 48.99 seconds.
“Jordyn became our school’s first para state champion and the first state champion (overall) since Jasmine Rumley (won both the 50 and 100 freestyle events in 2019),” Rhoads said.
Villhauer and fellow junior Maggie Blackmore led the way for Ankeny in the events that were scored. They both overcame some serious injuries to close out their season in style.
Blackmore won the “B” final in the 500 freestyle to place ninth in that event. She recorded a personal best with a time of 5:09.99.
“I was definitely surprised, partly because I got to break 5:10 but also because it was funny that I had broken it by .01 seconds,” said Blackmore. “After today I’m done swimming for awhile while I recover from surgeries so I had a lot of confidence going in knowing that I could leave everything I had in the water without worrying about being sore for practice the next day or having more races.”
Blackmore trailed Lydia Rehmert of Cedar Falls by 1.16 seconds after the opening 100, but then gradually closed the gap and eventually passed her in the final 150. Rehmert took 10th overall in 5:10.40.
“Maggie winning the ‘B’ final was pretty cool!” Rhoads said.
Blackmore earlier placed 15th in the 200 freestyle in 1:57.31. She moved up one spot from her seed while nearly matching the personal best of 1:57.22 that she posted during Thursday’s preliminaries.
“I was happy with it,” Blackmore said. “I missed my fourth wall so I had to try and make up for it, but other than that I’m proud of that time!”
Ellie McCorkle of Ames swept the distance events. She earned automatic all-American honors in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:48.40.
Villhauer, meanwhile, became a placewinner in the 100 butterfly for the third straight year. She placed 13th in 59.10 seconds after finishing 16th as a freshman and 12th as a sophomore.
Villhauer set a personal best of 58.28 during Thursday’s preliminaries.
“I am proud of how I showed in today’s final, considering five months ago I had a tumor removed from my spinal cord and couldn’t even walk!” Villhauer said. “Learning to swim again with two metal plates and a bunch of screws holding my vertebrae together has been challenging, so I’m not too disappointed I didn’t podium.”
Kimber Corwin of Dowling won the event with a time of 54.32. She earned all-American consideration.
Ankeny also scored a point in the 100 backstroke, where sophomore Abigail Brugman contributed a 16th-place finish. She was clocked in 1:01.43 after posting a time of 1:00.52 during the preliminaries.
Haylie Weinheimer of Des Moines North won the event in 55.20, earning all-American consideration.
“This group had a lot to be proud of,” Rhoads said.
Ankeny’s highest finish in the relays came in the 200 freestyle relay, where the foursome of Brugman, Villhauer, Blackmore and Breuner placed 12th in a time of 1:40.76. Bettendorf easily won the event in 1:33.14, earning automatic all-American honors.
Villhauer, Blackmore and Breuner later teamed up with Avery Anderson for a 16th-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay. The quartet was clocked in 3:43.62.
“Getting to compete with Allie on both of the last two relays was really special since it was her last meet, and we are pretty close,” Blackmore said. “I’m also very proud of everyone’s effort to give it their all. The last relay was definitely bittersweet since we had such a close team this year and we have to see our seniors go, but I couldn’t have asked for a better season.”
Dowling capped off its state title by winning the 400 freestyle relay in 3:25.06, edging Cedar Falls by less than a second. Both teams earned automatic all-American honors.
Ankeny opened the Friday portion of the meet with a 17th-place finish in the 200 medley relay. The team of Brugman, Rowen Hutzell, Villhauer and Piper Hedrick posted a time of 1:54.37.
“No relays were disqualified this year which was a win!” said Rhoads, whose team was DQ’d in the medley relay in 2024 and the 200 freestyle relay a year ago.
Bettendorf won the medley relay in 1:43.85, earning automatic all-American honors.
“We were hoping to do better in the relays, but it gives us something to work toward next year,” Villhauer said.
Rhoads said he’s optimistic about the future of the program.
“We didn’t finish where we wanted to, but you can’t overthink the standings,” he said. “A lot of the teams ahead of us we would beat by a lot in dual meets. We just have to get even more girls in the top 16 and top eight to score more points. The future is bright, and I know these girls will do some great things.”