The Iowa High School State Swimming Meet kicked off with high hopes for the Marshalltown boys' swimming team. Despite their best efforts, none of the five individual qualifiers managed to advance to Saturday's finals. However, the athletes demonstrated remarkable determination and improvement during Friday's preliminaries.

Among the standout performances was that of senior Charlie Gilbertson, who excelled in the 100-yard butterfly event. He achieved a time of 53.36 seconds, shaving precious milliseconds off his previous state-qualifying time. Although he narrowly missed advancing as an alternate by just 39-hundredths of a second, Gilbertson's perseverance was evident. Fellow senior Lincoln Barker also showed significant progress, improving two positions from his seeding times in both the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle events. His times were close to his personal bests, reflecting consistent performance under pressure.

Sam Greazel, another senior, faced challenges in matching his district times but remained undeterred. While he did not replicate his earlier successes, the experience gained from competing at this level will undoubtedly benefit him. All three swimmers will return to the pool on Saturday for the timed finals of the relay events. Their dedication and resilience highlight the true spirit of competitive swimming, emphasizing that success is not solely measured by advancement but also by personal growth and unwavering effort.