Metro Sports Report

Wash swimmers win Metro Spotlight Award

Kaitlyn Nemickas, Caitlin Sievers, Lauren Havertape and Logan Eckhardt of the Washington swimming team are the Metro Spotlight winners for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

The four Warriors set a meet record in the 200 medley relay Saturday to help Washington win the team championship at the Des Moines Lincoln Invitational by 120 points. The Warriors were timed in 1 minute, 56.8 seconds, just a shade behind their season-best time of 1:55.72 that ranks 12th in the state.

Nemickas and Havertape were triple-winners in Des Moines. Nemickas won the 100 backstroke and swam on the triumphant 200 freestyle relay. Havertape claimed the 100 butterfly and swam on the 200 freestyle relay.

RoughRiders dump Dubuque in opener

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders came out flying in their season opener Saturday night and belted the Dubuque Fighting Saints, 6-2, before 2,314 fans in a USHL game at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

Newcomers Jiri Fronk and Adam Gaudette scored two goals apiece and Ben Blacker collected 33 saves in an impressive performance by the entire club.

The RoughRiders poured in four goals in the first 11 minutes, 34 seconds of the game. Fronk began the scoring at the 3:21 mark and the Riders were off and skating.

Gaudette scored his first goal to make it 2-0, Zach Court connected for a 3-0 lead and Gaudette tallied again to make it 4-0 as the fans ate it up and Dubuque changed goaltenders.

"It was awesome. That was great," said Gaudette, who is from Braintree, Mass. "A good experience. I love it."

Fronk, from the Czech Republic, enjoyed the loud, enthusiastic crowd in his first game in the USHL.

Drake helps Lions have special relay

Kelsey Drake is a powerful force in a swimming pool in her individual events, but she's getting a special thrill as a member of Linn-Mar's impressive 400 freestyle relay.

The Lions own the best time in the state in the 400 relay and they proved it again Saturday in their own invitational at the Linn-Mar Aquatic Center.

Linn-Mar blazed to victory in the freestyle relay in 3 minutes, 38.16 seconds with Jenn Jenks, Lizzie Adams, Stephanie Jenks and Drake slicing through the fast waters with an impressive performance. It nearly equaled their state-best mark of 3:38.08 and was plenty good enough for a comfortable win against strong competition.

"It's a lot of fun having all four of us on a relay," said Drake. "We just wanted to go out there and win it, and we did."

Drake, a two-time silver medalist at the 2013 state meet, transferred to Linn-Mar this year and has helped the Lions rise to No.2 in the state power rankings.

Patrick scoots for 212 for No. 1 Warriors

Tavian Patrick glanced behind him a couple of times on his 73-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter Friday night to see if anyone was gaining on him.

Nobody ever did.

Patrick scooted for 212 yards on only 12 carries as top-ranked Washington defeated Muscatine, 42-21, in the Class 4A district opener at Kingston Stadium.

Patrick, a 5-foot-8, 160-pound junior with dancing feet, also broke loose on a 76-yard run in the third quarter before being hemmed in at the 9-yard line, leading to another Washington touchdown.

Patrick owns 11.5 speed in the 100-meter dash, but he wasn't sure if anyone from Muscatine was going to catch him on his 73-yard touchdown that began the scoring.