Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Grace Hartley of Fort Dodge swims in the Dodger pool earlier this week.

The main goal for the Fort Dodge swim team on Thursday was to have fun in the pool.

The Dodgers were able to do that, winning all 11 events while cruising to a 131-31 victory over Algona.

“We definitely wanted to come out and enjoy the experience,” said FDSH head coach Ashley Beaumont. “It was a great opportunity for our girls to compete and not have to be as anxious.”

Beaumont switched her lineup around and gave swimmers a chance to toe the water in new events. The Dodgers saw strong performances from their standouts, but freshman Makenna Kammerer stepped up the most in her opportunity.

Kammerer, swimming in the 500 freestyle for the first time, won the event in a time of 6:08.71.

“It was awesome to see Makenna do so well,” Beaumont said. “She is one of our hardest workers and she proved it in an event she isn’t too familiar with.”

Kammerer’s classmate, Eileen Fierke, continued to shine as the lone double winner for the Dodgers. Fierke won the 200 freestyle (2:00.17) and the 100 freestyle (56.79), nearly eclipsing her early season-best mark of 56.60.

Fierke’s senior sister, Elora Fierke, picked up a victory on the night as well in the 100 breaststroke (1:14.40). She eclipsed the squad’s best time of the season to date in the event by seven seconds.

Madigan Peimann, Grace Hartley and Rylie Steinkamp were also winners in new events themselves. Peimann won the 200 IM in 2:26.71.

Hartley was victorious in the 50 freestyle (26.40) and Steinkamp earned gold in the 100 backstroke (1:11.34).

“It was nice to see Riley come out in an event she wasn’t too comfortable in (100 backstroke) and win it,” Beaumont said. “Madigan (200 IM) and Grace (100 fly) swam relay well in those events. They had great times.”

The Dodgers were steady, placing both first and second in nine events and earning top-three finishes in four others. To cap off the individual performances, Fort Dodge won all three relay events as well.

The quartet of Peimann, Elora Fierke, Steinkamp and Hartley touched the wall in 1:58.97 of the 200 medley relay.

Eileen Fierke, Claire Kienzle, Morgan Border and Steinkamp won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:53.76. Eileen Fierke, Hartley, Elora Fierke and Peimann took the 400 freestyle to close the evening.

Steinkamp (200 freestyle), Kienzle (200 IM), Border (50 freestyle), Peimann (100 butterfly), Elora Fierke (100 freestyle), Border (500 freestyle), and Kienzle (100 backstroke) all took second.

The Dodgers were also silver medalists in two relays. Emily Dawson, Kienzle, Kammerer and Maria Elizndo (200 medley relay) earned second, as did Border, Kat Flores, Olivia Anderson and Kammerer in the 400 freestyle relay.

Fort Dodge will have a week off before hosting the Gary Winkler Invitational next Saturday, Sept. 21, in the Dodger pool.

“I love the way our schedule is set up with Ames to start and then two home meets,” Beaumont said. “Now we have a week off to prepare for our own invite. We will work on some things and fix a few details and put together our strongest relays.

“The (Winkler Invitational) is great because we get to swim preliminaries and then the finals in one of the best facilities in the state that our community takes a lot of pride in. It is a very fast meet, with Dowling and Cedar Falls in the pool. “

Algona’s Cathryn Houge turned in a runner up performance in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:29.56. The Bulldog quartet of Aliyah Buscher, Houge, Cayla Steinman and Cheyanne Fries was second in the 200 freestyle relay in a time of 2:03.95.