Swimming

Cape Central High School sophomore diver Tommy-Anne Marriott endured the gut-wrenching frustration of missing out on an opportunity to pursue a MSHSAA Class 1 State Swimming and Diving Finals last February. However, that doesn’t mean that she was incapable of receiving her due adulation.

Call it freshman nerves, first-year jitters, or whatever you want, but Cape Central swimmer Emilie Dickson didn’t enjoy as strong as a second day in the 2021 MSHSAA Class 1 State Swim Finals as she did in the preliminary round. “Her freshman year,” veteran Tiger swim coach Dayna Powell said, “she had a little bit of pressure on her going into state. She had really come on in her freshman year, toward the end. But I don’t think that she was happy with her freshman year, state meet, results.”

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — For the third consecutive year, Portageville claimed the Best Fans Awards at the 2022 Semoball Awards on Friday, July 8, at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Nearly 40,000 total votes were cast from May 2 to May 31, with all schools in the Semoball coverage area eligible. Each week, the list was narrowed down based on votes until the final five schools remained. The five finalists were Bernie, East Prairie, Poplar Bluff, Portageville, and Sikeston...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. — The Charleston Bleu Racers wrapped up a successful 2022 season at the Southeast Missouri Swim Conference (SMSC) Championship at Central Municipal Pool in Cape Girardeau on Saturday, July 16. The team had several athletes set personal records, while Hannah Bledsoe, Mary Stella Bryant and James Bryant all earned high point trophies in their respective age divisions...

The Kennett Killer Whales won their final home meet of the year Saturday against Charleston, securing an undefeated season as they look to defend their championship title going into this Saturday's Southeast Missouri Swim Conference championship meet in Cape Girardeau...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — The season is winding down for the Charleston Blue Racers and two of the biggest meets of the year are just around the corner. The swim team has competed at meets in nearby towns like Kennett, Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff, Ste. Genevieve, Perryville and Farmington on Saturdays for the past month. The next meet all be July 9 at Kennett, followed by the Southeast Missouri Swim Conference (SMSC) Championship Meet at Cape Girardeau on July 16...

Kennett has been dominating Southeast Missouri this summer, but make no mistake – this isn't about the Indians – it's about the Killer Whales swim team. With massive strength in numbers, Kennett has come out on top of all three meets in which they've competed this year...

There have been few athletic careers at the high school level in this state that rival what Anelle Harris achieved over the past four seasons at Kennett High School. But for those that thought Harris’ feats wrapped up in leading the Indians to third place in the recent MSHSAA Class 2 Softball State Finals, they would be mistaken.

Winter finalists, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, have been announced for the 2022 Semoball Awards, presented by SoutheastHEALTH. This year's event — which returns to its roots as the awards show goes back to a gala-style format following two years of alternative plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic — will take place on Friday, July 8, at LaCroix Church (3102 Lexington Ave.) in Cape Girardeau, Mo...

The diving career of Jackson High School senior Hadley Wyatt has been one of steady progression. So, it is only natural that she is now taking yet another step upwards in competition to challenge herself.

For most athletes, their freshman year gives them an opportunity to get used to the pace and intensity of varsity athletics. For Jackson swimmer Nate Thomas, it was an opportunity for him to leave his mark. Thomas put together a strong freshman season in the fall, finishing second place in the 200-yard individual medley at the Class 1 State Swimming Championships and third in the 100-yard backstroke to earn Southeast Missourian Boys Swimmer of the Year honors...

The 2022 Semoball Awards, presented by SoutheastHEALTH, returns to its roots as the awards show goes back to a gala-style format following two years of alternative plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's event will take place on Friday, July 8, at LaCroix Church (3102 Lexington Ave.) in Cape Girardeau, Mo...

SAINT PETERS – If you are interested in tracing the path to Cape Central High School’s girl’s swimming prominence at the MSHSAA level, it is easy. There are the years that Bella Dennis and Lauren Lamar were competing and then there are the years that the two (now) seniors weren’t.

ST. PETERS – Jackson High School freshman swimmer Ava Walters doesn’t come across as noticeable or intimidating in any fathomable way athletically. Standing at 5-feet-something, slight in her build, and girl-next-door friendly to a fault in her demeanor, she walked the pool deck of the MSHSAA Class 2 State Swim Finals this weekend at the St., Peters rec-Plex in a shroud of obscurity. And then she hit the water.

ST. PETERS – Veteran Cape Central High School swim coach Dayna Powell has shown up to the MSHSAA Class 1 State Finals in years past with championship-caliber swimmers, which led to championships won as a team.

ST. PETERS – Not only will the Cape Central girl’s swim team be well represented in today’s finals at the MSHSAA Class 1 State Finals at the St. Peters Rec-Plex, but youth will be served by the Tiger swimmers, which bode well for not just today, but the future, as well.

ST. PETERS, Mo. — Olivia Kirkman advanced to the consolation finals at the MSHSAA Class 1 swimming championships Thursday afternoon while one of Poplar Bluff’s relays missed the cut by less than one-tenth of a second. Kirkman finished 13th in the 100-yard freestyle and will swim Friday in her final career race...

Jackson High School freshman swimmer Ava Walters had some options heading into this week’s MSHSAA State Swimming and Diving Finals.

The wait finally ended Sunday morning for Poplar Bluff swimmers when they learned their fate. With all three relays among the top 32 times in Class 1, the Mules knew they were headed to the MSHSAA state meet, which starts Thursday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex, in those events...

Jackson diver Hadley Wyatt took second place in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 diving championships to advance to the state meet. Wyatt finished with a score of 397.15, four points higher than her previous best at the City of Roses meet on January 21...

Cape Central sophomore divers Tommy-Anne Marriott and Lydia Cao, along with their coaches, decided to pull the pair from Friday's Class 1 district diving meet at the John H. Foster Natatorium in Springfield, Mo., citing a potentially dangerous diving board...

You must give Cape Central senior Ella Vogel credit for this much, she isn’t afraid to be challenged. And after making the decision to join the Tigers’ swim team this season, she obviously doesn’t care about being humbled either After being a star on the basketball court each of the past three winters, Vogel made the difficult decision to try a different sport for her final year of high school. Perhaps, the most difficult sport – physically and mentally – that an athlete can sign up for.

Veteran Cape Central swim coach Dayna Powell has loved the depth of her 2021-22 squad this winter and the Tigers’ level of talent showed on Tuesday, as they won every event with the exception of two in claiming the 2022 SEMO Conference Swimming and Diving Meet at the Central Municipal Pool.

The Cape Central girl’s swim team put on a dominating performance Tuesday at The Bubble in Cape Girardeau winning the overall team event 170 over Notre Dame’s 82 and Saxony Lutheran’s 33. A Cape Central Tiger’s swimmer or team placed first in every event but the 50-yard freestyle event, which was won by Lexi Jansen from Notre Dame...

A lot of attention is given to Cape Central sophomore diver Tommy-Anne Marriott and with good reason.

If synchronized swimming ever becomes a sanction event, Poplar Bluff swimmers are ready. Prior to the Senior Night meet Tuesday, a handful of swimmers performed a short exhibition of the Olympic sport that’s not yet recognized by MSHSAA. “We thought it was funny and I’m just glad that everyone else got to see what we do in practice other than just swim,” senior Casey Browning said. “We do more than just swim, we have a fun time.”...

Unlike swimming, where 1:53 in a race beats a 1:54 every single time, the sport diving is subjective, which can cause a great deal of stress for all involved. “I think (the divers) are fine,” Cape Central diving coach Delbert Marriott and parent of Tiger sophomore Tommy-Anne Marriott said during the recent City of Roses Invitational. “As parents, we’ll lose our minds.”

Poplar Bluff and West Plains were trading the lead early in the 400-yard freestyle relay Tuesday. In the end, the Mules pulled away to win by nearly 5 seconds while finishing with one of their best times of the season. Kacey Gregory, Julia Smothers, Karin Cibulova and Olivia Kirkman turned in a time of 4 minutes, 13.41 seconds, just 0.06 of a second off Poplar Bluff’s best time that currently ranks 27th in Class 1...

Sydney Ringwald won the 100-yard freestyle, Emilie Dickson finished second in the 100-yard butterfly and Cape Central finished fifth at Saturday's COMO Invitational at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Mo. In addition to Ringwald and Dickson, Central finished in the top eight in the 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard freestyle relay...

Kacy Gregory and Olivia Kirkman won two individual races, Addison Kirkman won another while Haile Hall and Kelsey Kramer took the top spots in the dive for Poplar Bluff on Tuesday. The Mules also took the top two spots in the 400-yard freestyle relay with Kacey Gregory, Lily Gregory, Addison Kirkman and Karin Cibulova winning by nearly 4 seconds over Olivia Kirkman, Julia Smothers, Reece Prenger and Casey Browning...

POCAHONTAS, Ark. — Addison Kirkman, Keona Sample, Olivia Kirkman and a pair of relay wins led the Poplar Bluff swim team to a seven-team meet win Tuesday. The Mules finished with 597 points, beating Mountain Home (Ark.) by 47 points. Olivia Kirkman won the 100-meter butterfly with Addison Kirkman second while Addison Kirkman won the 400 freestyle...

Poplar Bluff swimmer Olivia Kirkman led the Mules with two first-place individual victories and two first-place relay wins in a 90-78 victory over Jackson on Monday. Kirkman, a senior at Poplar Bluff, won the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle and was part of the Mules' 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard freestyle relay teams...

The Cape Central girls swim team is coming off its best finish in school history. But the Tigers aren't content with just fourth place. "We want a better finish than last year, but we do feel like we're stronger," Central coach Dayna Powell said. "That sophomore class with our two divers Tommy-Anne (Marriott) and Lydia (Cao). ...

The Jackson girls swim team defeated Farmington 95-68 in a dual meet between the two teams at Famington High School. The Indians finished in first in every event except one, the 200-yard individual medley where Knights’ Skylie Adams took first place...

Cape Central continued its dominant season, winning the 2021 Rec Center Relays championship Thursday by 60 points. The Tigers placed first out of the six teams with 104 points and set three meet records along the way. Poplar Bluff took second place with just 44 points...

SEYMOUR, Mo. — Poplar Bluff’s depth was able to overtake the speed of West Plains on Tuesday as the Mules swim team won by 44 points even with only two event wins. Olivia Kirkman won the butterfly and Poplar Bluff’s 200-yard medley relay opened the meet with a win as the Mules had 13 top-3 finishes to overtake the Zizzers...

LADUE, Mo. — Poplar Bluff swimmers each seven top-10 finishes while divers Abagail Prewitt and Lily Wilson each finished fourth and sixth as the Mules placed sixth at the Ladue Invitational on Saturday. Olivia Kirkman finished fifth in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events while swimming a leg on two relays with Addison Kirkman, Kacey Gregory and Keona Sample that placed...

Girls Swimming Roundup, Dec. 1: Cape Central tops Jackson in season-opening head-to-head meet. Cape Central earned some bragging rights over Jackson in the season-opening meet for both teams, as the Tigers pulled away from the Indians for a 118-58 team win Tuesday...

Poplar Bluff swept the relays while Olivia Kirkman and Kacey Gregory each won two individual events as the Mules won a home meet Tuesday. Notre Dame Hannah Bledsoe won two events while Delaney Langenstein was first to the wall in another for the Bulldogs...

Prior to the start of their season-opening meet Tuesday at the Black River Coliseum, Poplar Bluff’s seniors held a quick presentation to the new swimmers on how to use the lap counter boards. “It’s very important,” said senior Alyssa Thompson, who swims the 500-yard freestyle...

Here are the MSHSAA winter sports district assignments for Semoball area schools. ^-girls only C6D1: Fox, Jackson, Lindbergh, Northwest, Oakville, Poplar Bluff, Seckman, SLUH. Cor Jesu-^ C5D1: Cape Central, DeSoto, Farmington, Festus, Hillsboro, North County Sikeston, Windsor-Imperial...

Jackson's Nate Thomas' inaugural high school swimming season ended with a visit to the podium. Thomas earned All-State honors in two of his four events at Friday's MSHSAA Class 1 State Swimming Championships in St. Peters, Mo. The Indians freshman took second place in the 200-yard individual medley and third in the 100-yard backstroke...

Conference champions. State qualifiers. Team record holders. The Poplar Bluff boys swim team has checked off a lot of boxes this fall and now the Mules are looking to add more at the MSHSAA Class 1 championship meet. With seniors Kastin Caudel, Christian Todd and Gavin Vaughn, junior Elijah McAtee and sophomore Carson Todd, the Mules will compete in the three relay events at the St. Peters Rec-Plex starting Thursday afternoon...

Jackson’s Nate Thomas has an opportunity to bring home some hardware, including a potential individual state championship, in his first high school season. The decorated freshman swimmer — who recently took home four gold medals and was named co-MVP at the SEMO Conference meet — is seeded in the top five in both of his individual races ahead of this weekend’s MSHSAA Class 1 State Swimming Championships in St. Peters, Mo...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Looking to improve their chances at qualifying for the state meet for the first time, the Poplar Bluff swim team ended up with another first for the program. The Mules claimed the SEMO Conference team title Tuesday and bettered their chances at qualifying for state in the process...

Boys Soccer Class 3 District 1 Notre Dame 6, Hillsboro 0 Mehlville 7, Cape Central 0 Class 4 District 1 Jackson 1, Northwest 0 Boys Swimming Semo Conference Meet Poplar Bluff 357 Jackson 318 Notre Dame 299 Farmington 295 Cape Central 279 Saxony Lutheran 104...

Beating a quality opponent twice is tough. Thrice is harder. Class 2 power Woodland found out the hard way on Tuesday when it fell to Saxony Lutheran 25-22, 9-25, 23-25, 26-24 in a district championship match at West County, sending the Crusaders to the state sectional round...

The Jackson boys swim team took home a team victory on Monday at the Southeast Missouri State Aquatic Center, outscoring both Notre Dame and Saxony Lutheran 97 to 86 and 52, respectively. Jackson freshman Nate Thomas finished first in all four of the events he participated in, picking up victories in the 200 medley relay, 200 yard freestyle, 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle relay...

Oak Ridge defeated Principia 25-17, 25-8, 25-15 on Saturday in a Class 1 District 4 quarterfinal held at West County High School in Frankclay, Mo. The Blue Jays got 14 kills, 10 digs and six assists from all-conference senior Paige Glueck. Stat-sheet stuffer Zoe Berry recorded five kills, 13 assists, nine digs, 16 service points and six aces in the win...