Ottumwa Girls Swimming Splits Home Double Dual in Return to Home Pool

The Bulldogs won three events at their first home meet in nearly 11 months, beating Centerville and falling to Des Moines East.

After racing at venues across Iowa for much of the season, the Ottumwa High School girls swimming team finally competed at home Monday for the first time in close to 11 months. Sophomore Piper Gevock delivered a strong performance, winning both the 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard breaststroke as part of three Bulldogs victories on the day.

The meet, a double dual, produced a split result. Ottumwa topped Centerville 100-21 but dropped an Iowa Alliance Conference south division matchup to Des Moines East by a 97-70 score.

"Our conference is a little lacking on newer pools," Gevock said. "It's definitely not the newest pool, but this pool is what we're used to."

Head coach Joe Gevock noted the squad's progress, saying the team posted more top times in this meet than at any point this season, along with numerous personal bests. With the campaign at its midpoint and meets crowding the schedule, he added that every practice session matters for continued improvement.

Ottumwa, now 1-4 overall and 0-3 in the Iowa Alliance south division, travels to Burlington on Saturday for the Grayhound Invitational. Centerville, 0-11, welcomes Oskaloosa on Thursday at the Rathbun Lake Area YMCA.