The Joplin-area will once again be well-represented at the MSHSAA Boys Swimming and Diving Championships.
The Joplin Eagles will compete at the Class 2 event on Friday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex, while other local schools are entered in Saturday’s Class 1 meet.
Joplin is sending six athletes to state.
The Eagles’ 200-yard freestyle relay team of Ben Wardlow, Zane Reavley, Zane Newman and Jacob Glenn earned a trip to state by swimming a qualifying time during the regular season.
Wardlow and Reavley are seniors, while Newman and Glenn are sophomores. Seniors Kohl Cooper and Jonah Hensley are the relay’s alternates.
“It’s a good group,” Joplin coach Ali Stauffer said. “It’s pretty much the same group that went last year. Four of them have been there before, so they know what to expect.”
Wardlow also qualified in two individual events—the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 free. Wardlow is seeded 24th in the 50 and 20th in the 100. The relay is seeded 21st.
The Eagles are no strangers to the state meet.
Wardlow, Reavley and Newman swam legs on Joplin’s 200 freestyle relay team that earned all-state recognition by placing eighth at last year’s meet.
Also, Reavley, Wardlow and Glenn swam on Joplin’s 200 medley relay team that finished 16th at state last year, earning honorable mention all-state honors.
Wardlow is a repeat qualifier in the 50 and 100 freestyle. In 2019, he placed 16th in the 100 and 24th in the 50.
A one-day meet is a change from the past, as each class previously competed over two days, with prelims one day and finals the next.
The qualifying requirements also changed this fall, as each meet has been reduced to a one-day affair with timed finals only. In previous years, the top 32 swimmers in each event qualified. This year, only the top 24 advanced.
No spectators are being allowed at this year’s event due to the pandemic, but MSHSAA will broadcast the event on its website for a fee.
“It’s going to be a lot different this year because of COVID, but at least they’re having a state meet,” said Stauffer, who is assisted by Aaron Stump. “I’m just glad we were able to have a full season. None of my guys came down with anything this season, so that was great. I’m just really glad my seniors are getting to go back to state. The boys are ready to go. I know they’re excited.”
AREA ATHLETES QUALIFY IN CLASS 1
Webb City, Carthage, Nevada and Monett all have athletes competing in the Class 1 event.
Webb City’s Micah Brouwer, Carson Forcum and Logan Thibault all advanced with their respective qualifying performances during the season.
Just a freshman, Brouwer will compete in the 100-yard breaststroke, where he’s seeded 22nd.
Forcum and Thibault will compete in the 1-meter diving competition. Forcum is a junior who is making a return trip to state, while Thibault is a sophomore.
Webb City coach Shawn Klosterman noted all of his relay teams would have advanced to state if the field hadn’t been reduced from 32 qualifiers down to 24.
Carthage junior Ezekiel Ramirez advanced in the both the 100 freestyle and the 200 free. He’s seeded 23rd in the 200 and 24th in the 100.
The Tigers also would have had relay teams at state if the number of qualifiers had not been reduced, Tigers coach Braden McBride confirmed.
Led by defending state champion Ben Hines, Nevada is taking seven athletes to state.
Hines and Tretin Raney are seniors, while Braylin Brooks and Jeremiah Hoss are juniors. Karter Evans and Daylan Hearth are sophomores, while Cody Leung is a freshman.
Hines is the defending champion in both the 50 free and 100 free. Hines is the top seed in the 50 free and is seeded second in the 100 butterfly.
Monett will be represented by senior Noah Holmes, juniors Jackson Dearing, Andrew Dixon, Turner Goodson, Andrew Kranz and Isaac Lindsey, sophomore Matthew Fillinger and freshman Ryan Goodson.
MORE INFO:
https://www.mshsaa.org/cmspages/BSWChampInfoCentral.aspx
