Decorah Girls Swim Team Shines at Ram Relays, Races to Runner-Up Finish at Mason City

Your support keeps truth alive in Decorah—donate to local news today! DUBUQUE and MASON CITY, Iowa — Against some of the strongest competition in Iowa, the Decorah girls swim team made a statement at the Ram Relays, held Saturday, August 30, at the SCSD Aquatic Center at Dubuque Hempstead High School, before moving on to prove their determination on Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Mason City Invitational, battling through a loaded field to secure a second-place team finish with 342.5 points. At Dubuque Hempstead High School, the Vikings finished sixth overall with 55 points, just one point shy of host Dubuque Hempstead and only eight points away from cracking the top three in the team standings. Cedar Falls claimed the team title with 115 points, followed by Bettendorf (70) and Cedar Rapids Kennedy (63). For Decorah, the day was highlighted by standout relay performances that gave the team the opportunity to show off their combined talents, leaving individuation for later in the season. In the 400-yard freestyle relay (varsity), the team of Liz Bucksa, McKenna Damary, Soph Gardner and Naomi Kurtz clocked a strong 4:16.29 to place fifth. The 9/10 varsity squad of Payge Webb, Britlyn Boyer, Jenna Schissel, and Karly Alstad impressed as well, racing to third place in 4:10.16. Decorah also placed third in the 300-yard breaststroke relay (varsity), with Alstad, Schissel, and Bucksa touching in 3:45.20. The 300-yard backstroke relay team of Isabella Sailor, Bucksa, and Boyer added a fifth-place finish with 3:33.83. The Vikings continued to stack up points in the 300-yard butterfly relay (varsity), where Sailor, Schissel, and Webb placed fourth in 3:20.79. The 200-yard freestyle relay (9/10 varsity) also grabbed third as Liv Anderson, Adeline Bollinger, Boyer, and Savannah Burns finished in 1:58.06. Earlier in the meet, Sailor and Webb teamed up in the 400-yard medley relay (varsity) to take third in 5:08.39, while Webb, Alstad, Schissel, and Burns earned a runner-up spot in the 200-yard medley relay (9/10 varsity). Coach Allie Schultz praised her team's grit and composure throughout the all-relay format. "Today, we competed against some of the top teams in the state, and I was very impressed with how this young team rose to the challenge," Schultz said. "They raced hard, stayed mentally focused, and truly swam their race. In an all-relay meet, we finished just eight points away from third place. I'm very proud of the way this team showed up and competed today." The Mason City Invitational was round two of the battle as the swimmers worked through a loaded field to secure a second-place team finish with 342.5 points. Waukee claimed the top spot with 632 points, while Boone followed closely behind Decorah with 330.5. From the opening relays to the grueling distance events, the Vikings turned in a string of impressive swims against some of the strongest programs in the state. In the 200-yard medley relay, Decorah's squad of Liz Bucksa, Jenna Schissel, Payge Webb, and Savannah Burns delivered with a 2:00.04, good for second place in their heat. The team of Naomi Kutz, Ana Simon, Adeline Bollinger, and Britlyn Boyer also contributed points, finishing in 2:22.23. Decorah excelled individually as well. Bucksa headlined the 200 freestyle, racing to first place in her heat with a winning time of 2:04.62. Teammate Karly Alstad added a fifth-place finish in 2:17.60, while Bollinger chipped in with a 15th-place swim. In the 200 individual medley, Schissel stood out with a third-place finish (2:25.70). Kutz (10th, 2:44.38) and Allia Ericson (15th, 2:57.11) rounded out a strong event for the Vikings. The sprint freestyles brought even more points. Burns surged to fifth in the 50 free (27.16), followed by McKenna Demaray (14th, 28.78). Webb also shined, placing fourth overall in the 100 free (58.53). Distance events saw another standout performance from Bucksa, who claimed second place in the 500 freestyle (5:40.38). Kutz added a ninth-place finish, while Simon took 14th. On the backstroke side, Webb grabbed the spotlight again with a third-place finish in the 100 backstroke (1:07.05). Schissel followed with a strong fourth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke (1:17.54) to close out Decorah's scoring push. With athletes contributing across multiple events, the Vikings' balanced attack proved decisive in stacking up vital meet-winning points. Join the community of savvy subscribers (for free)! Get the latest updates, tips, and insider information by subscribing to the free newsletter today.