The Iowa Central swim team will open up competition with a home meet this Saturday against Iowa Lakes.

And Joe Plane is just as excited as his swimmers.

The Tritons will welcome the Lakers to the Dodger pool for a 1 p.m. start. They will also host another meet on October 16 as they work towards March and nationals.

"We have been showing really good swimming here early on," Plane said. "Everyone is excited about the first competition. Getting through that first meet is a big first hurdle. You get to see competition racing and why you are going through these hard, grueling practices. 

"From there, you kind of get that renewed sense of excitement for the season."

Iowa Central had another banner season in the spring, as both the men's and women's teams placed in the Top-3 at nationals. They also claimed their first-ever national championships on the women's side and had several other runner-up finishes.

A handful of those swimmers return including Kyle McKenzie and Johnathon Turner. 

Plane has also brought in a number of freshmen who will have gone through a complete training before hitting the pool.

"They are adapting to the change in training at the college level and my style very well," he said. "The team bond is very well, too, which is important to me. The biggest adjustment is the level of intensity I expect out of them. We haven't gone too hard yet."

Along with meets in October, the Tritons will head to a pair of invitationals in November before setting their sights on the closing stretch. All signs point to nationals in Florida on March 2-5. 

"I'm very happy with our schedule," Plane said. "It's a little less than what he has been in the past, but that's just the way it all worked out. We'll be taking a training trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico and the kids are excited for that."

-By Dana Becker