Charles Gilbertson

GRINNELL — Arms and legs are getting heavy for the Marshalltown boys swimming team.

The times are continuing to drop though, and the Bobcats won two events and had enough strong finishes to take second place at Saturday’s six-team Grinnell Invitational at Grinnell High School.

Charlie Gilbertson was the 100-yard butterfly champion in 54.41, which is only one-hundredth of a second off his all-time best in the event.

“We haven’t tapered, haven’t rested him, so I’m excited for Charlie,” MHS head coach Mike Loupee said. “He’s going to do really well if we can keep him healthy.”

Lincoln Barker grabbed gold in the 500 freestyle in 5:13.42, less than two seconds off his season best — one of 36 season-best times and nine lifetime-best times for MHS swimmers on Saturday, and all with one senior, Isaac Seberger, out sick in the varsity lineup.

“These guys have raced 12 races in five days and had some pretty intense practices in between,” Loupee said. “I asked them after today how they felt and they said they felt like they were swimming in mud. Well if they’re swimming in mud, they’re swimming in fast mud.”

The Bobcats had several top-three finishes on Saturday — Jacob Seberger, Sam Greazel, Gilbertson and Michael Lechnir were second in the 200 medley relay, Greazel was also second in the 200 individual medley and took third in the 100 breaststroke.

The 200 freestyle relay team of Lechnir, Jacob Seberger, Kade Randall and Barker took third, as did the 400 free relay team of Lechnir, Gilbertson, Barker and Sam Greazel.

“Great finishes, great competition, that’s what we’re looking for,” Loupee said. “It’s a good week for us to have it at this time of year that will help our seed times for districts and hopefully encourage the guys that can see all the hard work paying off, and we’ve still got a little to do before we rest, but I feel like we’re sitting in a really good position these last three, four weeks.”

The Bobcats return to competition at Des Moines East on Thursday.

Grinnell Invitational

Team Standings — 1. Southeast Polk 457, 2. Marshalltown 436, 3. Ottumwa 403, 4. Indianola 301, 5. Muscatine 245, 6. Grinnell 213.

EVENT RESULTS

(Champion and MHS placewinners)

200 MEDLEY RELAY — 1. OTT (Miller, Gevock, Manary, Zimmeht), 1:42.65; 2. MHS (J. Seberger, S. Greazel, Gilbertson, Lechnir), 1:46.53; 7. MHS (L. Stanley, Christen, T. Stanley, Daters), 1:59.41.

200 FREESTYLE — 1. Desmond Ortega, SEP, 1:46.63; 4. Lincoln Barker, MHS, 1:55.35; 8. Aaron Hunter, MHS, 2:10.89; 9. Parker Christen, MHS, 2:12.09.

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — 1. Ashton Gevock, OTT, 2:02.17; 2. Sam Greazel, MHS, 2:12.13; 4. Kade Randall, MHS, 2:15.86; 7. Jacob Seberger, MHS, 2:18.71.

50 FREESTYLE — 1. Wyatt Sumner, GRN, 21.80; 10. Hayden Daters, MHS, 25.68; 11. Joe Greazel, MHS, 25.94; 15. Zander Stupp, MHS, 27.96.

100 BUTTERFLY — 1. Charles Gilbertson, MHS, 54.41; 13. J. Greazel, MHS, 1:11.05.

100 FREESTYLE — 1. Jonathan Miller, OTT, 48.36; 5. Michael Lechnir, MHS, 53.02; 6. Randall, 53.71; 10. Landon Stanley, MHS, 56.30.

500 FREESTYLE — 1. Barker, MHS, 5:13.42; 9. Thomas Stanley, MHS, 6:21.05.

200 FREESTYLE RELAY — 1. SEP (D. Ortega, Willier, Hammond, Z. Ortega), 1:34.40; 3. MHS (Lechnir, J. Seberger, Randall, Barker), 1:36.21; 6. MHS (Daters, J. Greazel, L. Stanley, Hunter), 1:44.18.

100 BACKSTROKE — 1. D. Ortega, SEP, 52.30; 4. Charles Gilbertson, MHS, 1:00.50; 6. Landon Stanley, MHS, 1:05.45; 8. Hunter, MHS, 1:08.21.

100 BREASTSTROKE — 1. Miller, OTT, 1:00.76; 3. S. Greazel, MHS, 1:06.07; 4. J. Seberger, MHS, 1:08.29; 7. Parker Christen, MHS, 1:17.78.

400 FREESTYLE RELAY — 1. OTT (Gevock, Zimmeht, Manary, Miller), 3:24.38; 3. MHS (Lechnir, Gilbertson, Barker, S. Greazel), 3:30.21; 7. MHS (Christen, Hunter, J. Greazel, Randall), 3:50.99.