Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Freshman Dylan Alt of Fort Dodge notched a pair of Top-20 finishes at the boys state swim meet in Iowa City on Friday.

IOWA CITY — The optimistic side of Dylan Alt was pleased with the way the preliminary round went at the boys state swim meet on Friday.

The competitive nature of the Fort Dodge freshman wouldn’t allow feelings of satisfaction to linger for long, though. Alt was good, but not quite good enough to reach the finals in his high school state debut.

Alt took 17th in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:51.75, and 19th in the 200 freestyle at 1:46.49. He came into the competition seeded 22nd and 21st, respectively, in his two events.

The Top-16 swimmers move into Saturday’s championship round.

“I was really happy with the time drops overall, but a little mad I didn’t qualify — especially after realizing I was so close,” said Alt, a student at Algona High School who commutes to FDSH daily as a member of the Dodger squad. “I knew coming in, given where I stood (seeding-wise), I was probably a long shot. Even if I dropped time, it wasn’t necessarily going to be quite enough.

“With that being said, I’m still bummed out (looking back now). This just gave me more motivation to work even harder in the offseason and prepare myself for the next opportunity (in 2023).”

Alt shaved nearly three full seconds off his 500 time from districts, and was .83 seconds quicker compared to his qualifying mark last Saturday in the 200. His performances were the best among the freshman class of state participants.

“It was a great environment,” Alt said. “Really crowded. Not quite what I’m used to (at state events swimming club for ACAC). There were a ton of fans.

“I really liked it. A fun experience, both because of (the atmosphere) and getting a chance to go up against upperclassmen. Facing the top juniors and seniors in the state helped me see where I stand. That pushes me and motivates me.”

Alt acknowledged before the meet that “I’d probably need to drop four or five seconds” off the 500 time and “one or two” in the 200.

“I knew the times would be fast,” Alt said. “In the (upcoming) offseason, I need to work more on stroke technique for all (races) and get faster, stronger and more versatile. I’ll go to camps and focus on getting better off the block and more explosive.

“Everything is a learning experience.”

Alt enjoyed his first season in the prep ranks as a Dodger, adding, “it was really fun. I liked the team aspect and being around everyone else.”