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MUSCATINE, Iowa – The emotion in Jennifer Littlejohn’s voice said it all.

Asked how special it would be to qualify for the state meet in an individual event for the first time as a senior, the Muscatine swimmer broke into tears.

“I would be so happy,” Littlejohn said. “We’ve all just put in so much hard work, with morning practices and long afternoon workouts.”

Well, hours after Saturday’s regional meet at the Carver Swim Center, Littlejohn learned she’ll get that opportunity as her time of 1 minute, 12.34 seconds in the 100 breaststroke was the cutoff to qualify for Saturday’s state meet in Marshalltown.

“She’s a great senior, great leader and her work ethic is unreal,” Muscatine coach Judd Anderson said. “She puts a lot of pressure on herself.”

Muscatine qualified in six of the 12 events.

In addition to Littlejohn and Sarah Martin’s runner-up finish in Thursday’s diving competition, the Muskies also qualified in three relays (200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle) and Hannah Eichelberger earned a spot in the 50 freestyle.

“We swam very, very well,” Anderson said. “We saw time drop after time drop. I don’t think we had a bad swim all day. We were very pleased.

“They call this a mini-state meet. It was very competitive, and that’s what makes you swim faster.”

Bettendorf captured its fifth consecutive regional championship with 450 points. The Bulldogs won six events, including five pool records in the 200 medley relay, 200 individual medley, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay.

In all, the Bulldogs qualified at least one participant in all 12 events.

“We’ve got a lot more time we can drop,” Bettendorf coach Mike Ahrens said. “Our top five or six girls haven’t been touched. We were in slow suits today and unshaved.

“We just call this a simple qualifying meet. You can’t make mistakes, and today we did a pretty good job of sticking to the plan.”

Iowa City West was second in the 10-team field with 309 points, followed by Iowa City High (285), Pleasant Valley (248) and Muscatine (245).

The Muskies had a pair of third-place finishes Saturday – Eichelberger in the 50 freestyle (25.16) and the 200 freestyle relay of Eichelberger, Littlejohn, Martin and Laura Ewalt (1:43.66).

Eichelberger’s time in the 50 was nearly a full second below her seeded time.

“I like swimming against a bunch of good teams,” Eichelberger said. “It makes us swim better as a team and made me swim better as a person, knowing that we’re against some of the hardest teams in the state.

“I’m hoping to swim under 25 (seconds) at state.”

Eichelberger, who qualified for four events last year, did the same this season. She was joined by Littlejohn, Martin and Ewalt in the 200 medley relay, then teamed with Haley Bartelt, Arianna Calderon and Martin in the 400 freestyle relay.

The 200 medley finished fourth, while the 400 free relay was fifth.

“We’re all so pumped, so excited,” Littlejohn said. “We’ve got one more chance to cut time or break a record again.”

It has been an unusual season for Anderson’s team, which has dealt with the flu and shoulder injuries.

“By and large, they’ve worked very hard, been pretty dedicated,” Anderson said. “This is a tough sport. It’s not a game, where you can go out and hit a ball.

“It’s a lot of constant practice, and you’ve got to admire the kids that do that. It’s been a fun group.”

 Regional meet

Team standings — 1. Bettendorf 450; 2. Iowa City West 309; 3. Iowa City High 285; 4. Pleasant Valley 248; 5. Muscatine 245; 6. Davenport Central 204; 7. Davenport West 134; 8. Keokuk 122; 9. Cedar Rapids Xavier 121; 10. Burlington 67.

200 medley relay — 1. Bettendorf (Rebecca Alves, Caitlin Campbell, Molly Coonce, Rachael Schermer) 1:51.24; 2. Iowa City High 1:54.64; 3. Iowa City West 1:55.48; 4. Muscatine (Hannah Eichelberger, Jennifer Littlejohn, Sarah Martin, Laura Ewalt) 1:55.79; 5. Davenport Central 1:56.94; 6. Cedar Rapids Xavier 2:00.38.

200 freestyle — 1. Gabbie Stecker (PV) 1:56.25; 2. Sarah Weihe (ICW) 1:56.84; 3. Margaret Barber (Bett.) 1:58.16; 4. Kathleen Bowman (ICW) 1:58.69; 5. Mary Betsworth (DC) 2:00.51; 6. Cat Vercillo (Bett.) 2:02.10; 10. Arianna Calderon (Mus.) 2:05.58; 17. Vincenza Manjoine (Mus.) 2:19.69; 20. Kelly Van Acker (Mus.) 2:21.52.

200 individual medley — 1. Coonce (Bett.) 2:08.90; 2. Paige Wolfe (DW) 2:17.62; 3. Kylie Hershberger (Bett.) 2:18.03; 4. Amanda Miller (Bett.) 2:19.78; 5. McKenzie Asplund (CRX) 2:21.01; 6. Emma Shie (DC) 2:22.10; 7. Haley Bartelt (Mus.) 2:22.36; 8. Littlejohn (Mus.) 2:23.08; 10. Laura Wood (Mus.) 2:30.39

50 freestyle — 1. Campbell (Bett.) 24.70; 2. Sarah Thompson (Bett.) 25.15; 3. Eichelberger (Mus.) 25.16; 4. Brandi Klimesh (CRX) 25.25; 5. Allie Stecker (PV) 25.32; 6. Hailey Kitzmann (DW) 25.34; 8. Ewalt (Mus.) 26.40; 24. Kathleen Pusateri (Mus.) 29.06.

100 butterfly — 1. Beth Eyanson (ICH) 57.58; 2. Coonce (Bett.) 58.02; 3. Campbell (Bett.) 58.66; 4. Grace Murray (ICW) 1:00.37; 5. Vercillo (Bett.) 1:00.44; 6. Katie Beale (DC) 1:02.93; 7. Natalie Sturms (Mus.) 1:07.47; 13. Meredith Baird (Mus.) 1:12.06; 19. Sarah Ross (Mus.) 1:16.60.

100 freestyle — 1. Barber (Bett.) 53.96; 2. Betsworth (DC) 54.95; 3. Alves (Bett.) 55.07; 4. Margaret Yapp (ICH) 55.44; 5. Lily Doershuk (ICH) 55.75; 6. A. Stecker (PV) 55.90; 9. Calderon (Mus.) 58.56; 13. Ewalt (Mus.) 1:00.00; 20. Manjoine (Mus.) 1:02.85.

500 freestyle — 1. G. Stecker (PV) 5:11.25; 2. Murray (ICW) 5:13.03; 3. Allison Davis (ICH) 5:18.52; 4. Kathleen Bowman (ICW) 5:19.18; 5. Hershberger (Bett.) 5:29.56; 6. Sarah Noser (ICW) 5:32.20; 9. Bartelt (Mus.) 5:35.91; 16. Erica Henderson (Mus.) 6:07.14; 19. Van Acker (Mus.) 6:23.18.

200 freestyle relay — 1. Bettendorf (Campbell, Thompson, Barber, Coonce) 1:39.52; 2. Iowa City High 1:43.27; 3. Muscatine (Eichelberger, Littlejohn, Martin, Ewalt) 1:43.66; 4. Pleasant Valley 1:46.08; 5. Davenport West 1:46.34; 6. Davenport Central 1:46.63.

100 backstroke — 1. Eyanson (ICH) 58.18; 2. Weihe (ICW) 1:00.52; 3. Thompson (Bett.) 1:01.95; 4. Nicki McDowel (Keo.) 1:02.90; 5. Alves (Bett.) 1:03.55; 6. Katie Beale (DC) 1:06.34; 9. Wood (Mus.) 1:08.21; 12. Baird (Mus.) 1:10.03; 13. Sturms (Mus.) 1:10.07.

100 breaststroke — 1. Savannah Butler (ICW) 1:09.10; 2. Emma Shie (DC) 1:09.69; 3. Miller (Bett.) 1:09.94; 4. Schermer (Bett.) 1:10.77; 5. McKenzie Asplund (CRX) 1:10.90; 6. Littlejohn (Mus.) 1:12.34; 16. Henderson (Mus.) 1:19.85; 18. Pusateri (Mus.) 1:21.75.

400 freestyle relay — 1. Bettendorf (Alves, Thompson, Schermer, Barber) 3:41.54; 2. Iowa City High 3:41.60; 3. Iowa City West 3:45.95; 4. Pleasant Valley 3:48.48; 5. Muscatine (Eichelberger, Bartelt, Calderon, Martin) 3:50.33; 6. Keokuk 4:01.28.

Regional athletes of the year — Molly Coonce (Bett.); Beth Eyanson (ICH)

Coaching staff of the year — Bettendorf.