The Kennedy High School girls swimming team has big goals this season, but it's hard to get an exact handle on what they are.

It depends on who you ask.

"We're just looking to do our best and be the best in the Metro, to beat Wash and Jeff and Linn-Mar and everybody," senior Jessica Schmeiser said Tuesday.

That's one opinion. Here's another.

"Obviously we want to get top 10 (at state)," Coach John Ross offered. "We'll see how the season progresses."

And now here's sophomore Sam Jacobsen, who may have spilled the beans and revealed the real goal for the 2012 campaign.

"Our coach actually wants to get in the top three (at state)," she said. "That would be really cool. That's definitely the goal, to get up on the podium."

So the secret is out, if it was meant to be a secret.

"The girls are excited about swimming," Ross confirmed.

Kennedy placed 12th at the state meet last year and features a strong nucleus of Schmeiser, Sam Jacobsen, Amanda Jacobsen and Hannah Botkin, all of whom placed in multiple events in 2011.

The Cougars also appear to have good depth and a promising group of freshmen, so the lofty goals appear reasonable.

Kennedy opened the 2012 campaign Tuesday by dominating a double-dual with Dubuque Wahlert and Waterloo West at the Kennedy pool. The Cougars won 9 of 12 events and it would have been 10 of 12 if their stacked 200 medley relay hadn't been disqualified.

Schmeiser captured the 100 and 200 freestyle races and also swam on the triumphant 200 and 400 freestyle relays for four gold medals.

Sam Jacobsen displayed her versatility by winning the 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke, along with swimming on the 400 freestyle relay. Her sister, Amanda, was a double winner in the 100 breaststroke and 200 freestyle relay. Botkin claimed titles in the 50 freestyle and 400 relay.

"We swam real well tonight," Ross said.

The Cougars recently returned from their annual trip to Minnesota, where they trained, went shopping, did some sight-seeing and perhaps most importantly participated in a community service project known as "Feed Starving Children" for the eighth straight year.

The Kennedy girls prepared enough meals to feed 80 kids for a year in Haiti. "Which is gigantic," Ross said proudly.

The Cougars had another bonding experience this summer when they gathered to watch the Olympics, especially the swimming. "We had parties with the swim team and we all watched it together," said Schmeiser, who also watched the Games with her family.

Watching the best swimmers in the world served as motivation and inspiration. "It would be really cool to be there," Schmeiser said.

That's one goal they can all dream about.

KENNEDY 149, WATERLOO WEST 34
KENNEDY 126, DUBUQUE WAHLERT 60
DUBUQUE WAHLERT 117, WATERLOO WEST 66

200 Medley Relay
1. Wahlert 2:03.45, 2. Kennedy (Henna McCoy, Kirsten Siebenga, Myah McCoy, Lydia Yang) 2:03.57, 3. Kennedy (Kennedy Smith, Sydney Hofferber, Megan Berst, Brooke Harris) 2:04.72.

200 Freestyle
1. Jessica Schmeiser (CRK) 2:03.26, 2. Larkyn Aldrich (CRK) 2:10.54, 3. Lauren Noel (DW) 2:10.94.

200 Individual Medley
1. Emily Schroeder (DW) 2:23.24, 2. Amanda Jacobsen (CRK) 2:27.86, 3. Kirsten Siebenga (CRK) 2:33.48.

50 Freestyle
1. Hannah Botkin (CRK) 25.67, 2. Lydia Yang (CRK) 27.40, 3. Megan Berst (CRK) 27.80.

Diving
1. Courtney Fisher (CRK) 158.10, 2. Carolyn Simon (CRK) 145.95, 3. Tori Spaulding (CRK) 140.20.

100 Butterfly
1. Taylor Pherigo (WW) 1:06.89, 2. Lauren Noel (DW) 1:07.12, 3. Taylor Golden (CRK) 1:10.99.

100 Freestyle
1. Jessica Schmeiser (CRK) 56.44, 2. Hannah Botkin (CRK) 59.12, 3. Sean Kalb (DW) 59.14.

500 Freestyle
1. Sam Jacobsen (CRK) 5:28.57, 2. Katie Ferguson (CRK) 5:46.49, 3. Larkyn Aldrich (CRK) 5:49.27.

200 Freestyle Relay
1. Kennedy (Amanda Jacobsen, Kirsten Siebenga, Myah McCoy, Jessica Schmeiser) 1:46.12, 2. Wahlert 1:51.42, 3. Kennedy (Leah Beman, Brooke Harris, Katie Ferguson, Larkyn Aldrich) 1:51.60.

100 Backstroke
1. Sam Jacobsen (CRK) 1:03.13, 2. Henna McCoy (CRK) 1:07.78, 3. Kennedy Smith (CRK) 1:09.47.

100 Breaststroke
1. Amanda Jacobsen (CRK) 1:14.51, 2. Madelaine Thomas (DW) 1:15.44, 3. Sean Kalb (DW) 1:18.25.

400 Freestyle Relay
1. Kennedy (Sam Jacobsen, Hannah Botkin, Lydia Yang, Jessica Schmeiser) 3:50.34, 2. Wahlert 4:01.42, 3. Kennedy (Larkyn Aldrich, Megan Berst, Kennedy Smith, Katie Ferguson) 4:05.19.