By many, few, or just one point a win is a win and the Lions of Linn-Mar will take it.

Linn-Mar won the regional swimming and diving championship Saturday afternoon at Kennedy by just one point. The ninth-ranked Lions edged the No. 8 host Cougars 457-456 to claim the title.

“I honestly had (Kennedy) winning, it was a good surprise (to win),” Linn Mar Coach Chad Derlein said. “Both teams swam lightning fast.”

Linn-Mar and Kennedy were joined by 28th-ranked Jefferson in representing the Metro in the regional meet. The J-Hawks finished fifth, behind Muscatine and Bettendorf.

All three Metro schools had swimmers win events and guarantee themselves a spot in the state meet at Marshalltown next Saturday. Winners in each event and the next 18 best times from across the state qualify for the state meet. Cut-off times will be announced later tonight.

Kennedy and Linn-Mar both had a phenomenal day in the pool. Kennedy set a school record in the 200 yard freestyle relay and would have set two pool records if not for the Lions beating them to it. Linn-Mar broke pool records in both the 200 freestyle relay and the 200 medley relay.

“I was really pleased with the girls’ efforts, there was some great competition here,” Kennedy Coach John Ross said. “It was not quite a lifetime swim, but it was close.”

Linn-Mar started the day with a 16-point lead over Kennedy, thanks to a 1-2-3 finish by Sam Wagner, Adelia Clark and Alyssa Deuso in Thursday night's diving competition.

The Lions built on their lead immediately, recording a pool record and state qualifying swim in Saturday's first event, the 200 medley relay, as Lizzie Adams outswam the Cougars' Hannah Botkin on the anchor leg. Senior Nicole Larsen, junior Lauren Dalecky and senior Emilie Berg swam the first three legs for Linn-Mar.

“It feels great to work hard all season and have it pay off,” Dalecky said. “It is indescribable.”

The Lions got another relay win and pool record later in the day when Berg, Adams, Dalecky, and senior Alex Dunn edged Kennedy in the 200 freestyle relay.

“We have been wanting to do this (set the record),” Dunn said. “I didn’t think I would ever be up there taking down a record, it’s incredible.”

Berg added an individual win in the 100 breaststroke to her two relay wins.

Kennedy got a relay win of its own in the 400 free relay, the last event of the day. The Cougars easily pulled away from the Lions to capture a spot at state. Senior Jordan Muir, freshman Sam Jacobsen, senior Lexi Scharmer, and junior Jessica Schmeiser powered the Cougars in the event.

Unfortunately for Kennedy, the 40 points the Cougars earned for winning the free relay left them one point shy of Linn-Mar. The Lions held a seven-point lead heading into the event after Berg, Dalecky and Lauren Reynolds finished 1-3-4 in the breaststroke.

Kennedy's Scharmer and Schmeiser each got an individual win on the day, too. Scharmer won the 100 butterfly in a close race, while Schmeiser won the 200 freestyle.

“It’s a relief,” Scharmer said. “We have a party tonight to learn cut off times, it’s kind of stressful.”

“(It’s) really exciting because I haven’t gone (to state) in an individual event,” Schmeiser said. “My teammates really push me to do my best.”

Jefferson's day wasn't quite as the two other Metro schools, but the J-Hawks did get a huge win of their own. Jefferson senior Kailey Drake won a Metro heavy last heat to take first in the 50 freestyle and claim a spot at state.

“Now everyone knows who I am,” said Drake, who said she was asked who she was by a Linn-Mar swimmer before the race. “I was excited because my goal was to beat all Linn-Mar swimmers and stand on the first place podium.”

Jefferson Coach Ryan York had plenty of confidence in Drake. He told her, “if you are with them at the 25 wall you will win. See you at the podium,” a couple heats before Drake swam.

Linn-Mar hopes to carry its momentum over into next week's state meet.

“We hope to get top 10,” Derlein said. “It has been our goal all season.”

Linn-Mar's coaching staff was given the regional coaching staff of the year award.

“It (the award) is more about what the girls did, they made the coaches look good,” Derlein said about the honor. “It is basically an award for them."

REGIONAL MEET
At Kennedy

Teams -- 1. Linn-Mar 457, 2. Kennedy 456, 3. Muscatine 284, 4. Bettendorf 257, 5. Jefferson 212, 6. Keokuk 143, 7. Fairfield 134, 8. Williamsburg 123, 9. Burlington 70.

200 Medley Relay
1. Linn-Mar (Nicole Larsen, Lauren Dalecky, Emilie Berg, Lizzie Adams) 1:50.89, 2. Kennedy (Sam Jacobsen, Amanda Jacobsen, Lexi Scharmer, Hannah Botkin) 1:51.67, 3. Bettendorf 1:54.35, 4. Jefferson (Erin Kibby, Emily Ritchie, Kylie Steimer, Kailey Drake) 1:56.21, 5. Fairfield 1:58.61, 6. Keokuk 1:59.07

200 Freestyle
1. Jessica Schmeiser (CRK) 1:57.50, 2. Sarah Pfeiffer (Musc) 2:01.99, 3. Jordan Muir (CRK) 2:03.71, 4. Larkyn Aldrich (CRK) 2:04.59, 5. Jessica Arebaugh (LM) 2:07.25, 6. Emily Schoer (Musc) 2:07.98

200 IM
1. Rebecca Alves (Bett) 2:11.67, 2. Regan Kilburn (Musc) 2:19.13, 3. Mallory Neubauer (Willburg) 2:21.88, 4. Lauren Reynolds (LM) 2:22.26, 5. Samantha Fitzgerald (LM) 2:24.21, 6. Lauren Dalecky (LM) 2:24.56

50 Free
1. Kailey Drake (CRJ) 24.81, 2. Lizzie Adams (LM) 24.82, 3. Alex Dunn (LM) 24.96, 4. Emilie Berg (LM) 25.34, 5. Hallie Goss (Musc) 25.42, 6. Hannah Botkin (CRK) 25.61

100 Butterfly
1. Lexi Scharmer (CRK) 59.53, 2. Rebecca Alves (Bett) 59.66, 3. Jordan Muir (CRK) 1:01.17, 4. Mallory Neubauer (Willburg) 1:02.89, 5. Kylie Steimer (CRJ) 1:03.57, 6. Jade Greiner (Fair) 1:03.71

100 Free
1. Rachael Schermer (Bett) 53.87, 2. Jessica Schmeiser (CRK) 54.46, 3. Alex Dunn (LM) 55.00, 4. Lexie Hawkins (Keokuk) 55.10, 5. Kailey Drake (CRJ) 55.21, 6. Hallie Goss (Musc) 55.56

500 Free
1. Sarah Pfeiffer (Musc) 5:24.65, 2. Sam Jacobsen (CRK) 5:28.59, 3. Larkyn Aldrich (CRK) 5:33.37, 4. Katie Ferguson (CRK) 5:41.64, 5. Emily Schoer (Musc) 5:47.53, 6. Jessica Arebaugh (LM) 5:54.50

200 Free Relay
1. Linn-Mar (Emilie Berg, Lizzie Adams, Lauren Dalecky, Alex Dunn) 1:39.29, 2. Kennedy (Hannah Botkin, Jordan Muir, Amanda Jacobsen, Jessica Schmeiser) 1:40.25, 3. Bettendorf 1:41.47, 4. Muscatine 1:43.15, 5. Jefferson (Erin Kibby, Emily Ritchie, Kylie Steimer, Kailey Drake) 1:44.60, 6. Fairfield 1:47.77

100 Backstroke
1. Lexie Hawkins (Keokuk) 59.47, 2. Lexi Scharmer (CRK) 1:00.93, 3. Sam Jacobsen (CRK) 1:01.05, 4. Regan Kilburn (Musc) 1:01.22, 5. Nicole Larsen (LM) 1:01.84, 6. Henna McCoy (CRK) 1:02.41

100 Breaststroke
1. Emilie Berg (LM) 1:07.04, 2. Rachael Schermer (Bett) 1:08.44, 3. Lauren Dalecky (LM) 1:09.91, 4. Lauren Reynolds (LM) 1:12.20, 5. Amanda Jacobsen (CRK) 1:13.29, 6. Hannah Crane (Bett) 1:14.05

400 Free Relay
1. Kennedy (Jordan Muir, Sam Jacobsen, Lexi Scharmer, Jessica Schmeiser) 3:40.48, 2. Linn-Mar (Lizzie Adams, Jessica Arebaugh, Alexa Klimes, Alex Dunn) 3:45.07, 3. Muscatine 3:53.13, 4. Jefferson (Olivia Northrup, Emily Ritchie, Erin Kibby, Kylie Steimer) 3:56.36, 5. Fairfield 4:02.91, 6. Bettendorf 4:03.88

Unofficial Cut-Off Times

200 medley relay -- 1:56.82

200 free -- 2:01.94

200 IM -- 2:19.61

50 free -- 25.45

100 fly -- 1:02.00

100 free -- 55.56

500 free -- 5:28.57

200 free relay -- 1:44.42

100 back -- 1:03.67

100 breast -- 1:11.71

400 free relay -- 3:49.89