—Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge senior Gracie Harvey won the 100 butterfly in Monday’s swim dual against Mason City in the Dodger pool.

Fort Dodge girls swim coach Ashley Beaumont sees Senior Night as the perfect moment to reflect and appreciate the Dodger athletes who have stayed the course in her program.

Despite not having a large 12th-grade class to anchor this year’s squad, Beaumont didn’t hesitate to give thanks for the leadership Gracie Harvey and Janelle Chada have shown while applying their talents to help advance the program both in and out of the pool.

“It’s a small team, but such a close group,” Beaumont said. “They’ve been awesome to work with and to see work together. In many ways, it’s arguably the best (chemistry-wise) in my 12 years here. And Gracie and Janelle are both big reasons why.”

Harvey was one of five event winners for the Dodgers on Monday as FDSH took on Mason City. The Riverhawks prevailed, 113-54.

Harvey captured the 100 butterfly in 1:06.01, and was on two gold-medal relays: the 200 medley (Nora O’Connor, Karlee Pearson, Teagan Loots and Harvey, 2:06.96) and the 200 freestyle (O’Connor, Loots, Pearson and Harvey, 1:53.58).

“Gracie had her best time in the 100 fly, and the 200 medley did, too,” Beaumont said. “Teagan had some great splits in the relays. We’re pretty much in line with where we’ve been and about where we should be (in mid-October).

“Now we look forward to conference (Oct. 23 in Mason City) and regionals (Nov. 8 at a site to be determined), focusing on how we pace ourselves and prepare between now and then.”

Pearson was first in the 100 breaststroke (1:15.18), and O’Connor prevailed in the 100 freestyle (1:04.18).

Beaumont took time to individualize her seniors, lauding their efforts and the commitment it took to get to this point in their respective careers.

“Gracie just has the aura of a leader,” Beaumont said. “People gravitate to her. She’s very goal-oriented, and is constantly focusing on getting better as an athlete, as a student and, most importantly, as a person. She has set a tone and a standard for us that makes it easy for others to try and emulate.

“Janelle had never been a competitive swimmer before (FDSH). To see how much she’s grown since her freshman year is pretty remarkable. She’s so coachable and such a good listener. It’s been great to watch her gain confidence both in and out of the pool, as a swimmer and as a young woman.”

The Dodgers will use the Iowa Alliance Conference meet to “tweak some things and set the stage” for the stretch run, according to Beaumont.

“We’re hoping to do something special at regionals,” Beaumont added. “Regardless of what happens, this has been a true team in every sense of the word.”