About Girls Swimming & Diving
The Ames High girls swimming and diving program competes in the state-of-the-art on-campus Dan Flannery Pool, named after the legendary head coach that brought home eight team state titles from 2011-2020, only finishing as a runner-up in the two other years in that span. In Flannery’s tenure as head coach, starting in 2003, the girls swim and dive program earned 41 event state titles as well. Now in 2024, Joe Fisher, a longtime assistant under Flannery enters his fifth season at the helm of the program as the Little Cyclones look to reclaim their spot atop the team podium in November.
Flannery’s Legacy
Under the direction of the late legend Dan Flannery, the Little Cyclone girls won the program’s first state championship in November 2010. Flannery would continue to add top hardware to the trophy case with seven more state titles through 2018. After a runner-up finish in 2019 – Flannery’s final season in lead of the girls’ program – the Little Cyclones had finished an entire decade with eight total state titles and finishing no worse than runner-up in the two other seasons.
New Leadership
Following Flannery’s passing in the summer of 2020, just weeks prior to the season, long-time friend and assistant coach Joe Fisher took charge of a talented roster in COVID-challenged season. Amid uncertainty and spectator-less events throughout the entirety of the season, the Ames girls took home the 2020 state championship.
Celebrating Success
The Ames girls program has had 58 individual and relay champions. Most notably, Sophie Sorenson ’17 and Maddie Bro ’11 have won nine and eight event titles respectively, placing third and fourth all-time in IGHSAU history. Meghan Donald ’22 matched Maddie’s number with a four-title performance in the 2021 IGHSAU Championships.