McCook Y team finishes at elite regional swim meet

Emma Graff (red cap) and Izzy Renner (white cap) leap from the starting blocks in the 50 yard freestyle at Des Moines Wellmark YMCA on Saturday at regional championships.Full McCook results appear below.

Ronda Graff/Courtesy Photo

DES MOINES, Iowa - The McCook YMCA youth swim team wrapped up its season this weekend in Des Moines at the YMCA’s North Central Regional Championships.

The meet brings together hundreds of the best swimmers from across Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, all who posted qualifying times throughout the regular season to earn a spot at the meet.

McCook swimmers included Asher Bennett, Leah Spencer, Izzy Renner, Emma Graff, Abby Renner, Taytum Roskop, Blake Rodewald, Derick Spencer, Aaron Spencer and Kevin Bantam.

McCook High and YMCA swimmer Kevin Bantam

Ronda Graff/Courtesy Photo

In her final year swimming for the McCook YMCA swim time, senior Leah Spencer earned two second-place finishes, including the women’s 15 and over 200 yard freestyle

with a time of 2:03.39. She also earned runner-up in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:01.55.

Leah’s other top 8 finishes included 6th in the 50 yard freestyle at 25.95; 5th in the 200 yard individual medley at 2:26.73; 7th in the 100 butterfly at 1:06.20; and 3rd in the 100 yard freestyle with 56.01.

Other top 8 finishes included freshman Abby Renner, fifth in the women’s 13-14 100 yard fly, 1:06.09; Izzy Renner, eighth in women 15 and over 500 free, 6:08.66; Kevin Bantam placed fifth in the mens 15 and over 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:36.64 and sixth in the 200 IM at 2:20.

While the older swimmers competed in afternoon sessions, Asher Bennett, 7, was the lone swimmer in the morning session for the 10 and under and had a good showing for McCook.

He placed 8th in all the events he qualified for: 50 back, 46.29; 50 free, 38.92; and 25 free, 17.23.

The girls relays also placed in the top half of both of their races. The 200 medley relay of Leah Spencer, Izzy and Abby Renner and Emma Graff placed fifth with a time of 2:02.20.

The 200 free relay of Leah Spencer, Emma Graff, Abby Renner and Taytum Roskop placed fourth with a time of 1:45.48.

The men’s relay team of Blake Rodewald, Aaron and Derick Spencer and Kevin Bantam placed ninth in both events, with a time of 2:02.70 in the medley relay and 1:45.50 in the free relay.

The regional meet wraps up a season which began last September with practices at the McCook YMCA pool.

The swimmers will take a couple months before returning for summer swim practice at the McCook Y.

For more information about summer swim, contact McCook Coach Jon Graff at jgraff@mccookbison.org.