Iowa City, Ia (Northwest Iowa Now) – The Spencer Girls Swim Team is preparing for the 2026 Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Swimming Championships at the University of Iowa Campus Recreation & Wellness Center in Iowa City.

Spencer’s 200y Medley Relay team of Emerson Wittrock, Halle Sears, Aubrey Paterson, and Aubrey McFarland are seeded at 1:49.28 and will be swimming out of Heat 4 Lane 7.

Halle Sears will be in the 200y Individual Medley for the Tigers, seeded at 2:07.08 and competing out of Heat 3, Lane 4.  Sears was able to reach a lot of her goals during the regular season.

Sears will also be in the 100y Fly.  The Spencer Junior is seeded at 56.91 seconds and will be in lane 5 of Heat 4.  Along with Sears in that heat is her teammate Aubrey Paterson who is seeded at 59.38 seconds and will be in lane 7.  Paterson, an 8th grader, has benefited from some good leadership in the upper-class ranks of the Tiger Girls Swim Team.

Spencer will have a team in the 200y Free Relay made up of Aubrey McFarland, Ava Vogt, Aubrey Paterson, and Halle Sears.  That team will be seeded at 1:40.02 and swim out of Heat 3’s 4th lane.  Vogt has been happy with how she has knocked down times in her Junior Season.

Emerson Wittrock is seeded at 59.89 seconds in the 100y Backstroke and will be swimming out of Heat 4’s 6th lane.  Wittrock, another 8th grader for the Tigers, talked about the experience competing with the varsity team this year.

Aubrey McFarland will also compete in the 100y Backstroke, seeded at 1:01.86 and in Heat 3’s 1st lane.  The Sophomore has cut almost 6 seconds off of her time in that event this season.

The Tigers are seeded at 3:45.6 in the 400y Free Relay where at team of Aubrey McFarland, Ava Vogt, Emerson Wittrock, and Aubrey Paterson will swim out of Lane 5 of Heat 2.

Preliminary races begin Thursday morning at 11:00.