The Webb City High School girls swimming and diving team returns a solid nucleus from last year’s squad that not only won the Central Ozark Conference Meet, but also concluded the season with a number of all-state performances.
The Cardinals feature 19 athletes who played a role on last year’s team that went 15-0 in duals and captured a conference crown. Among the returning swimmers are athletes who garnered all-state and all-conference recognition a season ago.
With that, it’s safe to say the Cardinals are poised to have another stellar winter.
“This team is hungry for success,” Cardinals coach Shawn Klosterman said. “We have several returning athletes who have put in a lot of extra time getting bigger and stronger since last season. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about meets and relay lineups, which shows me their minds are in the right place heading into the season. Our veterans are also excited about the new fish coming in as we have a few with a lot of swimming background and a few more with a lot of athletic ability who have been successful athletes in other sports.”
Seniors Sophia Whitesell (IM, distance), Olivia Honey (freestyle), Skylar Powell (freestyle), MacKenna Kelly (freestyle), Hally Philpot (freestyle, breaststroke), Hannah Ross (backstroke, free) and Eden Paul (IM, butterfly) return with plenty of varsity experience.
“My seniors this year are excellent leaders who bring the team together to work hard every day and motivate them to give it all when the races count,” Klosterman said. “I couldn’t ask for better leadership than we’ll have this year.”
Returning juniors are Bailey Artinger (freestyle, breast), Emma Burke (backstroke), Allie Eggleston (distance), Novely Lamont (IM, breast), Talyn Lewis (distance), Kiera McDonald (backstroke), Avery Mitchell (freestyle) and Kelly Tollefson (diving).
Returning sophomores are Alix Davis (freestyle, back), Camryn Klosterman (IM), Hattie Warren (diving), Kyndall Weston (IM, breast) and Emily Wood (freestyle).
The Cardinals return plenty of state experience.
At last year’s Class 1 state meet, Whitesell placed eighth in the 200 IM and 16th in the 500 freestyle, while Powell finished 13th in the 50 freestyle and 14th in the 100 freestyle.
Webb City’s 400 freestyle relay team of Powell, Mitchell, Davis and Whitesell took 11th place. The 200 medley relay team that featured Camryn Klosterman, Whitesell and Honey (15th) and the 200 free relay that featured Powell, Honey and Mitchell (16th) also recorded top 16 finishes at state.
At last year’s COC Meet, the Cardinals won the 400 free relay, took second in the 200 medley and were third in the 200 free relay.
Whitesell won the 500 freestyle and was the COC runner-up in the 200 IM, while Powell was third in the 100 free and fourth in the 50 free and Camryn Klosterman was fourth in the 100 fly and fifth in the 200 IM. Also at last year’s COC Meet, Mitchell was fourth in the 100 free and fifth in the 50 free, Davis was sixth in the 100 backstroke and Philpot took sixth in the 100 breaststroke.
“We had a great showing at COC and at the MSHSAA Championships last year and we are returning a lot of dedicated Cardinals,” Coach Klosterman noted.
Coach Klosterman hopes to see similar, if not improved, results this winter.
“The COC Championship is always a goal, but getting as many athletes into the state meet as we can is certainly a priority for my returners,” he said.
In addition to the large group of returning swimmers, Webb City will feature some promising newcomers.
Coach Klosterman listed senior Jaylynn Reno, sophomore Trinity Custenborder and freshmen Madison Allen, Saige Boulware, Carly Brigance, Sophia Jiminez, Alivia Johnson, Norah Klosterman, Jai Potter and Jaeli Rutledge as newcomers to watch.
“We’ll have a lot of new fish so it is always a challenge to get them race ready quickly and to figure out which events their natural ability will lead them toward,” Coach Klosterman said. “We also have a lot of versatile athletes I can place in any event, so some of our veterans will need to be ready to jump in wherever the team needs them.”
Those newcomers will provide more depth for the Cardinals.
“I think we’ll be especially strong this year both in dual meets and in the major invites and championship meets,” Coach Klosterman said. “Our lineup should be able to fill every event with big point scorers no matter what level of meet we’re at. I’m excited about our depth.”
With the program’s goals always set high, Coach Klosterman noted the keys to a successful season are simple.
“The keys are staying healthy and motivated through the toughest part of the training year,” he said. “Once we get to January, the schedule gets hard with meets and tough workouts. Once we get over that hill, as long as everyone stays on their game, is when we start seeing breakout swims and the payoff for all their hard work and time sacrifice.”
The Cardinals will host a season-opening meet on Nov. 29.
