ST. PETERS, Mo. — Carl Junction High School junior Chloe Miller is now a state champion.
Miller captured a gold medal on Saturday at the 2023 MSHSAA Class 1 Swimming and Diving Championships at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.
Chloe Miller
Miller’s performance led a strong local showing, as members of the Carl Junction Bulldogs and Webb City Cardinals concluded the season by earning all-state honors in multiple events.
Miller won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.6 seconds. Cape Central’s Sydney Ringwald was the runner-up in 23.79. Miller was the runner-up in the 50 free at last year’s state meet.
Miller made it to the awards podium in two individual events on Saturday, as she finished fifth in the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.94 seconds.
Carl Junction senior Skyler Sundy also had a pair of top-eight finishes. Sundy placed fourth in the 100 backstroke in 59.68 seconds and also finished eighth in the 50 free in 24.85 seconds.
Miller and Sundy were also part of two all-state relays.
Carl Junction’s 200 freestyle relay team of Madeleine Garoutte, Sundy, Elyanna Dogotch and Miller placed fourth in 1:40.
The Bulldogs took seventh in the 400 free relay in 3:46, with Garoutte, Sundy, Dogotch and Miller competing.
With all-state honors in five events, Carl Junction finished eighth in the team standings with 114 points.
Webb City competed in seven events on Saturday, one in the championship finals and six in the consolation finals.
In the championship finals, Webb City’s 400 freestyle relay team of Skylar Powell, Avery Mitchell, Alix Davis and Sophia Whitesell finished eighth in 3:47 to earn a spot on the awards podium.
Webb City’s 200 medley relay team of Norah Klosterman, Whitesell, Camryn Klosterman and Mitchell won the consolation final in 1:55 to finish ninth overall.
The Cardinals took 15th in the 200 freestyle relay, with Powell, Davis, Olivia Honey and Mitchell competing.
A senior, Whitesell finished 11th in the 200 IM (2:14) and 14th in the 500 freestyle (5:29).
Powell finished 14th in the 50 free (25.56) and Davis was 14th in the 100 free (56.0).
The Cardinals finished 13th in the team standings with 59 points.
STATE NOTES: Monett’s Macey Flynt finished 31st in the 1-meter diving competition.
Westminster Christian won the Class 1 team title with 257 points. Parkway West (225) and Cape Central (224) finished second and third in the team standings.
Three Joplin area teams—Carl Junction and Webb City in Class 1 and Carthage in Class 2—had state medalists this season.
On Friday in Class 2, Carthage senior Madison Riley earned all-state honors in two events, as she placed fourth in the 100-yard butterfly and sixth in the 100 freestyle.
ST. PETERS, Mo. — Carthage senior Madison Riley concluded her stellar prep swimming career by making a pair of trips to the awards podium on Friday at the MSHSAA Class 2 Swimming and Diving Championships.
Riley earned all-state honors in two events, as she placed fourth in the 100-yard butterfly with a personal best time of 56.69 seconds and sixth in the 100 freestyle in 53.2 seconds. The two events were held just minutes apart.
Competing in the consolation finals, Carthage’s 200 medley relay team of Aubree Santillan, Olivia Manning, Joey Hettinger and Riley finished 12th with a time of 1:54 to earn honorable mention all-state honors.
Braden McBride’s Tigers finished 18th in the Class 2 team standings with 38 points.
The top three teams in Class 2 were Parkway South (238), Park Hill South (202) and Kirkwood (201).
The Class 1 prelims were scheduled to begin on Friday afternoon at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.
The Joplin area will once again be well-represented at the MSHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving Championships.
Athletes from Carthage will be competing at the Class 2 state meet on Thursday and Friday, while Webb City, Carl Junction, Thomas Jefferson and Monett will be represented at the Class 1 event on Friday and Saturday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.
Webb City qualified in nine events, while Carl Junction will compete in eight events and Carthage is entered in seven events.
Thomas Jefferson and Monett will compete in one event apiece.
Below is a look at the Joplin area’s state qualifiers.
CARTHAGE SET FOR CLASS 2 MEET
Carthage senior Madison Riley is seeded fifth in the 100-yard butterfly and seventh in the 100 freestyle.
Carthage junior Aubree Santillan is seeded 18th in the 100 backstroke, while freshman Olivia Manning is seeded 23rd in the 100 breaststroke.
The Tigers qualified for state in all three relays.
Carthage’s 200 freestyle relay is seeded 16th, the 200 medley relay is seeded 19th and the 400 freestyle relay is seeded 26th.
Thursday’s prelims begin at noon. Those who advance to the finals will compete again on Friday.
WEBB CITY, CARL JUNCTION TAKING LARGE GROUPS TO STATE
Webb City and Carl Junction are taking 11 girls apiece to the state meet.
The Cardinals have multiple entries in five of their nine events.
Webb City senior Sophia Whitesell is seeded seventh in the 200 IM and 11th in the 500 freestyle.
Webb City has three entrants in the 50 freestyle—senior Skylar Powell (seeded 13th), junior Avery Mitchell (21st) and sophomore Alix Davis (25th).
In the 100 freestyle, Davis is seeded 15th and Powell is seeded 19th.
Sophomore Camryn Klosterman is seeded 20th in the 200 IM and 24th in the 100 breaststroke, while freshman Norah Klosterman is seeded 26th in the 500 free and 29th in the 200 free. Senior Hally Philpot also qualified in the 100 breaststroke, where she’s seeded 27th.
The Cardinals are seeded seventh in the 400 freestyle relay, ninth in the 200 freestyle relay and 18th in the 200 medley relay.
Carl Junction junior Chloe Miller is seeded third in the 50 freestyle, with Skyler Sundy seeded seventh and Elyanna Dogotch seeded 30th in the same event.
Miller is seeded fourth in the 100 freestyle, with Dogotch seeded 29th.
A senior, Sundy is seeded seventh in the 100 backstroke.
Madeleine Garoutte is seeded 20th in the 100 butterfly and 22nd in the 200 IM.
The Bulldogs are seeded sixth in the 200 freestyle relay, ninth in the 400 free relay and 10th in the 200 medley relay.
Thomas Jefferson Independent School will be represented at the state meet by sophomore Natalie Carroll. Carroll qualified in the 100 breaststroke, where she’s seeded 21st.
Monett senior Macey Flynt qualified to compete in the 1-meter diving competition.
The Class 1 prelims are scheduled to begin at 4:30 on Friday. The finals are slated to begin at 3 on Saturday afternoon.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Led by seven event wins, the hosts captured the team championship at the Red Bird Invitational girls swim meet on Saturday.
Webb City topped the team standings with 397 points. Carl Junction was the runner-up with 300 points and Joplin took third with 151.
There were nine teams in attendance.
WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS
The Cardinals won seven of the 12 events, including all three relays.
Webb City’s 200-yard medley relay team of Norah Klosterman, Sophia Whitesell, Camryn Klosterman and Olivia Honey took first with a time of 2:05.
Webb City’s 200 freestyle relay team of Skylar Powell, Alix Davis, Honey and Avery Mitchell recorded a winning time of 1:50.
The 400 freestyle relay team of Powell, Mitchell, Davis and Whitesell won with a time of 4:02.
Whitsell won a pair of individual events — the 200 IM and the 500 freestyle.
Hally Philpot took first in the 100 breaststroke, while Kelli Tollefson was the top performer in the 1-meter diving competition.
Finishing second in their individual events were Norah Klosterman (200 free, 500 free), Powell (100) and Kiera McDonald (diving).
Taking third place in their respective events were Allie Eggleston (200 free, 500 free), Camryn Klosterman (200 IM, 100 butterfly) and Davis (100 free, 100 backstroke).
Finishing fourth were Honey (200 free) and Mitchell (50 free, 100 free). Powell finished fifth in the 50 free.
CARL JUNCTION HIGHLIGHTS
The Bulldogs won four events.
Chloe Miller won two events for the Bulldogs — the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.44 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 58.4 seconds.
Madeleine Garoutte took first in the 100 butterfly in 1:06, while Skyler Sundy won the 100 backstroke in 1:06.
Carl Junction took second in five events, including all three relays.
The 200 medley relay team of Sundy, Abigail Holcomb, Sophia Holcomb and Kennedy Johnson took second in 2:09.
The Bulldogs were second in the 200 free relay, with Garoutte, Elyanna Dogotch, Avari Fifer and Sydney Ward finishing in 1:54.
CJ’s 400 free relay team of Garoutte, Dogotch, Sundy and Sophia Holcomb finished second in 4:08.
Taking second in their individual events were Garoutte (200 IM) and Abigail Holcomb (100 breaststroke).
Sundy was third in the 50 free and Johnson placed fourth in the 500 free, while Abigail Holcomb and Sophia Holcomb were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 200 IM.
Finishing fifth in their events were Fifer (200 free), Sophia Holcomb (100 fly), Dogotch (100 free) and Ward (100 breaststroke).
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
Joplin’s 200 medley relay team of Lily Rakes, Taegen Smith, Kiki Thom and Megan Walser finished third.
The JHS 400 freestyle relay team of Thom, Lydia Barwick, Walser and Rakes took third.
The Eagles placed sixth in the 200 freestyle relay, with Barwick, Brooklyn Hiller, Allysun Higdon and Gwen Zamanzadeh competing.
Also for the Eagles, Rakes finished fourth in the 100 backstroke, Thom placed fourth in the 100 butterfly and Smith was fourth in the 100 breaststroke.
Walser and Rakes were fifth and sixth in the 500 freestyle.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Thomas Jefferson’s Natalie Carroll finished second in two events — the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke.
TJ’s Meghan Mueller finished third in the 100 breaststroke.
Greenwood’s Reese Moore won the 200 freestyle. It was the only event that wasn’t won by Webb City or Carl Junction.
Red Bird Invitational
Team standings: Webb City 397, Carl Junction 300, Joplin 151, Marshfield 114, Bolivar 89, Hillcrest 79, Thomas Jefferson 39, Seymour 29, Greenwood 29.
In a meet that featured 22 teams, the Carl Junction Bulldogs took first place at the Ozarks Invitational on Saturday at the Foster Natatorium in Springfield.
Stephanie Miller’s Bulldogs topped the team standings with 258 points. Kickapoo (236), Glendale (226.5), Rogersville (193) and Ozark (178) finished second through fifth.
The Bulldogs recorded a top-six finish in nine of the 12 events.
Carl Junction’s 200-yard medley relay team of Skyler Sundy, Abigail Wilson, Madeleine Garoutte and Chloe Miller finished second with a state-consideration time of 1:57.
The Bulldogs were also second in the 200 freestyle relay, as Wilson, Sundy, Garoutte and Miller recorded a consideration time of 1:47.
Carl Junction’s 400 freestyle relay team of Elyanna Dogotch, Kennedy Johnson, Sophia Holcomb and Carsyn Smith finished sixth in a consideration time of 4:19.
Sophomore Chloe Miller placed third in two events — the 50 freestyle with a state-consideration time of 25.07 seconds and the 100 free in 57.61, also a consideration time.
Sundy took fourth in the 100 backstroke in a consideration time of 1:03, while Wilson placed fourth in both the 200 individual medley (2:39) and the 100 breaststroke (1:16, consideration time).
Garoutte finished fifth in two events — the 100 butterfly with a consideration time of 1:07 and the 100 breaststroke (1:18).
Also for the Bulldogs, Smith was seventh in the 100 backstroke and ninth in the 200 freestyle, while Johnson placed eighth in the 500 freestyle.
Sundy took ninth in the 50 free, while Dogotch finished 11th in the 500 free and 12th in the 100 backstroke.
The Bulldogs will compete at the COMO Invitational this weekend at the University of Missouri.
JOPLIN RESULTS
The Joplin Eagles finished 12th in the standings with 65 points.
The Eagles placed eighth in the 400-yard freestyle relay, as Emma Langer, Lily Rakes, Sophia Schwartz and Allie Lawrence recorded a time of 4:24.
Joplin was 10th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:57, with Lawrence, Schwartz, Rakes and Langer competing.
The Eagles finished 12th in the 200 medley relay, with Schwartz, Langer, Lawrence and Rakes swimming.
Lawrence placed eighth in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:13, while Langer finished 12th in the 100 breaststroke and Rakes placed 14th in the 500 freestyle.
Megan Walser finished 14th in the 200 IM and 15th in the 500 free.
NOTES: Lamar’s Audrey Osterdyk finished eighth in the 100 breaststroke and 10th in the 500 freestyle. Kickapoo’s Lainey Adler and Monett’s Macey Flynt took first and second in the diving competition. Monett finished 10th in the 400 free relay, with Gwen Lesue, Grace Lee, Ruby George and Claire Nation competing. Kickapoo won all three relays.
Ozarks Invitational
Final team standings: Carl Junction 258, Kickapoo 236, Glendale 226.5, Rogersville 193, Ozark 178, Poplar Bluff 178, Central 153, New Covenant 141, Nixa 132, Lebanon 128, Winnetonka 90, Joplin 65, Francis Howell Central 57, Monett 47.5, Republic 40, Raytown 29, Bolivar 27, Lamar 16, Parkview 16, Camdenton 15, Greenwood 6, Waynesville 1.
Carl Junction, Webb City and Carthage will be among the teams competing at this weekend’s Missouri Girls Swimming and Diving Championships at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.
The Class 2 event is Friday, while the Class 1 event is Saturday. The swimming events are scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. each day.
In a change due to the pandemic, only 24 athletes qualified in each event this winter.
In previous years, the top 32 swimmers in each event qualified for state.
A one-day meet is also a change from the past, as each class previously competed over two days, with prelims one day and finals the next.
As was the case during the boys fall season, each meet has been reduced to a one-day affair with timed finals only, and no spectators are allowed.
CLASS 1
CARL JUNCTION
The back-to-back Central Ozark Conference champion Carl Junction Bulldogs will have eight athletes competing at the Class 1 meet.
Representing the Bulldogs at state will be seniors Sophia Hensley and Emma Lacey, juniors Alanza Montez and Carsyn Smith, sophomores Madeleine Garoutte and Skyler Sundy and freshmen Chloe Miller and Abigail Wilson.
“The girls are so excited,” Carl Junction coach Stephanie Miller told Fox Sports Joplin’s Rob Forest during a radio interview on Thursday. “I’m just really excited because we’re a team. We’re going to miss our two seniors of course, but the future looks good.”
The Bulldogs are the top seed in the 200-yard medley relay with their time of 1:51 and Carl Junction is seeded second in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:41.92, which is not far behind Parkway West (1:40.29).
Carl Junction is seeded 10th in the 400 free relay.
“The relays are going to be amazing,” Miller said. “I think we can finish in the top-eight in all three of them.”
As far as individual events, Chloe Miller is seeded fourth in the 50 freestyle, while Lacey is seeded fifth in the 100 breaststroke and Sundy is the sixth seed in the 100 backstroke.
“Those three are really looking good for top eight,” Miller said. “We’re looking forward to everyone scoring points.”
Wilson is seeded 16th in the breaststroke, while Smith is seeded 21st in the backstroke.
WEBB CITY
The Cardinals have seven athletes heading to state.
Representing Webb City will be juniors Ella Holt and Makenzie Storm, sophomores Olivia Honey, Hally Philpot, Skylar Powell and Sophia Whitesell and freshman Avery Mitchell.
Webb City’s 400 freestyle relay team is seeded 19th and the team’s 200 free relay is seeded 24th.
Whitesell is seeded 14th in the 200 individual medley and 17th in the 500 freestyle, while Powell is seeded 19th in the 50 free.
REGIONAL SCHOOLS
Lamar, Nevada and Monett also have athletes competing in Class 1.
Lamar will be represented by seniors Meghan Watson and Kaitlyn Davis, while junior diver Laura Kimmell is Nevada’s lone qualifier.
Big 8 Conference champion Monett will be represented by seniors Faith Drewianka and Ashton Prine, juniors Abby Apostal and Gwen Lesue, sophomore Claire Nation and freshmen Ava Fritts and Emma Hunter.
CLASS 2
CARTHAGE
Carthage has six athletes qualified for Friday’s Class 2 event.
Representing Carthage will be senior Nadya Housh, juniors Hope Fultz and Cassidy Smith, sophomore Madison Riley and freshmen Ava Lacey and Aubree Santillan.
The Tigers are seeded 19th in the 200-yard freestyle relay and 23rd in the 400 freestyle relay.
Riley is seeded 11th in the 100 butterfly and 24th in the 100 backstroke, while Santillan is seeded 20th in the backstroke.
The Tigers, who finished second at the COC meet on Jan. 26, are the lone area squad competing in Class 2.
Area girls swim teams converged on Springfield this past weekend for the Southwest Missouri Championships.
There were 23 teams in attendance and three local squads finished in the top six of the final team standings.
Carl Junction finished third in the team standings with 349 points. Kickapoo was first with 455 and Glendale took second with 401.
Springfield Central took fourth with 229 points, while Carthage (207) and Webb City (204) finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
CARL JUNCTION RESULTS
The Bulldogs won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:51, with Skyler Sundy, Emma Lacey, Sophia Hensley and Chloe Miller competing.
Carl Junction also won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:41, with Lacey, Alanza Montez, Sundy and Miller swimming.
The Bulldogs finished seventh in the 400 freestyle relay, with Montez, Carsyn Smith, Hensley and Sundy competing.
Sundy took second in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:00, while Lacey was the runner-up in the 100 breaststroke (1:09).
Miller placed third in both the 200 freestyle (2:01) and the 50 freestyle (24.77).
Abigail Wilson finished fifth in the 100 breaststroke, while Lacey placed seventh in the 50 free and Smith was seventh in the 100 backstroke.
Hensley finished eighth in the 200 individual medley, with teammate Wilson 11th.
Also for the Bulldogs, Smith finished 12th in the 200 free and Madeleine Garoutte placed 12th in the 100 fly and 13th in the 100 breaststroke. Montez took 13th in the 100 free and 15th in the 50 free and Hensley was 15th in the 100 fly.
CARTHAGE RESULTS
Carthage’s Madison Riley was the runner-up in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:00.
The Tigers placed fourth in the 200 freestyle relay, with Riley, Cassidy Smith, Aubree Santillan and Hope Fultz competing.
Carthage was fifth in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:55. Riley, Smith, Nadya Housh and Fultz competed.
Housh placed fifth in the 200 individual medley in 2:25, with teammate Santillan sixth in 2:26. Santillan was also sixth in the 100 backstroke.
Housh was 10th in the 100 fly, while Smith placed 10th in the 100 freestyle.
Ava Lacey was 10th in the 500 free and 12th in the 100 backstroke.
WEBB CITY RESULTS
Webb City’s Sophia Whitesell placed third in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:19. Whitesell was also third in the 500 freestyle (5:33).
The Cardinals were fourth in the 200 medley relay in 2:01, with Ella Holt, Makenzie Storm, Whitesell and Skylar Powell swimming.
Webb City’s 400 free relay team of Powell, Hally Philpot, Avery Mitchell and Whitesell placed eighth, while the Cardinals finished ninth in the 200 free relay, with Powell, Holt, Philpot and Mitchell competing.
Storm was seventh in the 100 breaststroke, while Powell finished 10th in the 50 free.
Mitchell placed 12th in the 100 breaststroke.
THOMAS JEFFERSON RESULTS
Thomas Jefferson’s Sarah Mueller was 13th in the 200 IM and 16th in the 100 breaststroke.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Led by a number of stellar performances, and with its overall team depth on full display, Carl Junction’s girls repeated as team champions at the Central Ozark Conference Swimming and Diving Championships on Tuesday night at Webb City’s Buck Miner Swim Center.
The Bulldogs finished on top of the team standings with 307 points.
Carl Junction coach Stephanie Miller noted it was a memorable night for her Bulldogs, who concluded a long day by posing for photos with the COC championship plaque.
“This was great,” Miller said. “I love the competition and the close races. I’m really proud of the girls. It’s sometimes harder to come in and defend a title, so I’m really proud of them. It was a lot of fun.”
Carl Junction won six events and took second in two others. The Bulldogs also swam some record-setting times along the way.
“It’s just a blessing,” Miller said. “My whole team was in the water tonight. No one was in quarantine. Everyone’s healthy, so I’m just so thankful for that. It’s just a blessing to be in the pool. We’re not taking that for granted.”
Carl Junction’s depth showed, as the Bulldogs scored big points in nearly every event.
“I’ve got 18 girls and I’m pretty sure all but two scored points tonight, which is phenomenal,” Miller said. “That’s just amazing. We won a lot of races, but when we didn’t win, we still recorded our best times.”
Carthage took second with 259 points.
“We performed OK,” Carthage coach Braden McBride said. “We had some personal bests and I was proud of that. We were a swimmer short, but I don’t think it would have made a ton of difference. Carl Junction is just loaded. But I thought we did pretty well overall. We saw some improvements. They’re all getting better.”
Webb City finished third with 202 points.
“For the most part, I thought we did fantastic,” Webb City coach Shawn Klosterman said of his team’s showing. “There was a lot of very inspired swimming. It feels good. This is always an exciting meet. They always get inspired. I love it. It was nice to see some lifetime bests out of some kids. We weren’t expecting those until the state meet. There were just so many time drops.”
Ozark (186), Nixa (150), Republic (78) and Joplin (75) rounded out the standings.
The Carl Junction Bulldogs pose with the COC championship plaque at the conclusion of Tuesday’s meet.
CARL JUNCTION RESULTS
The Bulldogs won all three relays.
“We loaded our relays tonight and had some girls do all three,” Coach Miller said. “I haven’t done that before. But we have good relays and they have fun, so why not?”
Carl Junction’s 200-yard medley relay team of Skyler Sundy, Abigail Wilson, Sophia Hensley and Alanza Montez recorded a state-qualifying time of 1 minute, 57 seconds.
The 200 freestyle relay featured Emma Lacey, Montez, Sundy and Chloe Miller and also swam a qualifying time of 1:43. The time is a COC record and a new pool record.
Carl Junction’s 400 freestyle relay capped a stellar meet for the Bulldogs. Swimming the relay were Chloe Miller, Montez, Sundy and Lacey. Their time of 3:51 is a COC record and was also a pool record.
Chloe Miller, Lacey and Sundy all won individual events.
Miller touched the wall first in the 200 freestyle in 2:02, while Lacey won the 50 freestyle in 25.95. Both swam state-consideration times.
Sundy’s winning time of 1:01 in the 100 backstroke is not only a state-qualifying mark, but also a COC record.
Miller was the runner-up in the 500 freestyle, while Lacey and Wilson took second and third in the 100 breaststroke. Lacey swam a state-qualifying time in the breaststroke (1:09.6).
Madeleine Garoutte took third in the 100 butterfly, with Hensley fourth in the same event. Carsyn Smith was fourth in the 100 backstroke.
Also for the Bulldogs, Montez took sixth in the 50 free, Carsyn Smith was sixth in the 200 free, while Hensley and Wilson finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 200 individual medley.
Abigail Holcomb finished seventh in the 500 free, with Kennedy Johnson eighth, while Bryn Neria was ninth in the 100 freestyle.
Carl Junction’s Abigail Holcomb competes during Tuesday’s COC swim meet at Webb City. Photo by Israel Perez.
CARTHAGE RESULTS
Carthage’s Madison Riley won the 100 butterfly with a consideration time of 1:02.
The Tigers were second in two relays, the 200 medley and the 400 freestyle.
Riley, Aubree Santillan, Nadya Housh and Hope Fultz competed in the medley, with Riley, Cassidy Smith, Housh and Fultz swimming the freestyle.
Santillan and Riley placed second and third in the 100 backstroke.
Smith took third in the 100 freestyle and Fultz was fifth.
Housh and Ava Lacey took third and fourth in the 500 free, while Housh placed third in the 200 IM, with Santillan fifth.
Lacey and Fultz finished fourth and fifth in the 200 free. Smith was fifth in the 50 free, Victoria Martinez took fifth in the 100 fly, while the Tigers finished fifth in the 200 free relay (Smith, Santillan, Martinez, Lacey).
Carthage’s Cassidy Smith competes during Tuesday’s COC meet. Photo by Israel Perez.
WEBB CITY RESULTS
Sophia Whitesell won the 500-yard freestyle in a state-consideration time of 5:32.
“Sophia was on fire tonight,” Klosterman said. “She kind of surprised me tonight in the 500. She’s never gone that fast. It was a lifetime best.”
Whitesell also placed second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:19.
Skylar Powell finished third in the 50 free and was fourth in the 100 free.
Webb City’s 200 medley relay team of Ella Holt, Makenzie Storm, Whitesell and Olivia Honey placed third.
The Cardinals were fourth in the 200 freestyle relay, with Powell, Holt, Hally Philpot and Avery Mitchell competing.
Webb City was also fourth in the 400 free relay, with Powell, Philpot, Mitchell and Whitesell swimming.
Also for the Cardinals, Holt was fifth in the 100 backstroke, Storm took fifth in the 100 breaststroke, Philpot placed sixth in the 100 free, while Mitchell was seventh in the 50 free and the 100 breaststroke.
In the diving competition, Webb City’s Kyndie Crockett was the runner-up with a score of 275.5.
Webb City’s Sophia Whitesell is pictured during the COC meet. Photo by Israel Perez.
JOPLIN RESULTS
The Eagles placed fourth in the 200 medley relay, with Mairi Beranek, Taegen Smith, Allie Lawrence and Mya Johnson competing.
Joplin’s team of Lawrence, Sophia Schwartz, Ava Perrin and Johnson were sixth in the 200 freestyle relay, while Lily Rakes, Schwartz, Beranek and Perrin placed sixth in the 400 freestyle relay.
Beranek finished ninth in the 100 backstroke, with Schwartz 12th.
Smith was ninth in the 100 breaststroke, while Megan Walser and Rakes were 11th and 12th, respectively, in the 500 freestyle.
Kennedy Schwartz finished 11th in the 100 butterfly, Lawrence was 12th in the 100 free, Rakes finished 13th in the 200 free and Smith was 13th in the 200 IM.
Pictured is Joplin’s Megan Walser. Photo by Israel Perez.
MEET NOTES
Nixa’s Lillie Blevins was the diving champ with a state-qualifying score of 388.65.
Republic’s Karissa Metzger won the 100 breaststroke in a COC record and state-qualifying time of 1:09. The time was faster than the previous pool record that was set in 1984.
“There were a lot of impressive times,” Klosterman said, noting several records. “That just says a lot about our conference. It’s getting better. I love seeing the close races and there were a lot of close races for first place tonight. And that’s just so fun to watch.”
This was the third year the conference held an official girls swim meet. Webb City won the inaugural event in 2019 and Carl Junction won it last year.
No fans were allowed at this year’s event, but Webb City hosted a live stream of the meet.
“It’s hard to have a meet with no spectators, but I think the atmosphere here was still pretty darn good and the racing went great,” Klosterman said. “I hope there were a lot of people watching from home.”
Olivia Honey of Webb City is pictured. Photo by Israel Perez.
Carl Junction’s Louise Collette is pictured. Photo by Israel Perez.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The host Tigers cruised to a first place finish at the Carthage Invitational girls swim meet on Friday at the Fair Acres Family YMCA.
Carthage finished on top of the team standings with 278 points. Monett was a distant second with 182.5, while Lebanon took third with 167.
Lamar (160), Nevada (144.5), Joplin (137), Hillcrest (71) and Marshfield (60) also competed.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
Carthage’s 200-yard medley relay team of Madison Riley, Aubree Santillan, Nadya Housh and Hope Fultz took first in 2 minutes, 5 seconds.
The team of Riley, Fultz, Housh and Cassidy Smith won the 400 freestyle relay in 4:12.
The Tigers finished second in the 200 freestyle relay, with Smith, Santillan, Karsen Dininger and Ava Lacey competing.
Fultz finished second in the 200 freestyle, with Olivia Wright fourth in the same event.
Housh was the runner-up in the 200 individual medley, with teammates Santillan and Karsen Dininger fourth and fifth, respectively, in the same event.
Riley took second in the 100 butterfly, with Sydney Parks fourth.
Cassidy Smith was the runner-up in the 100 freestyle and Fultz took fifth.
Housh also placed second in the 500 freestyle, with Olivia Wright fifth.
Carthage’s Riley took second in the 100 backstroke, while teammates Santillan and Dininger were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the same event.
Smith placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke.
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
The Eagles were fifth in the 200 medley relay, with Lily Rakes, Taegen Smith, Allie Lawrence and Mya Johnson competing.
Joplin was also fifth in the 200 free relay, with Lawrence, Sophia Schwartz, Ava Perrin and Johnson swimming.
The Eagles’ team of Rakes, Kennedy Schwartz, Mairi Beranek and Sophia Schwartz took seventh in the 400 free relay.
Joplin’s Lawrence, Perrin and Johnson finished seventh, eighth and ninth in the 50 free. Smith placed fifth in the 100 breaststroke.
Sophia Schwartz placed sixth in the 200 freestyle, Rakes took sixth in the 500 free, Beranek was sixth in the 100 backstroke and Perrin finished eighth in the 200 IM.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Monett’s Ava Fritts won the 200 freestyle in 2:16, while Nevada’s Abbi Baldwin and Monett’s Gwen Lesue tied for first in the 50 free (28.58).
Lamar’s Kaitlyn Davis took first in both the 200 IM (2:29) and the 100 free (59.34).
Lamar’s Meghan Watson won two events–the 100 butterfly (1:02) and the 100 backstroke (1:06).
Hillcrest’s Emily Lesue took first in the 500 free (6:04), Marshfield’s Maggie Groenke won the 100 breaststroke (1:16) and Monett won the 200 free relay in 1:51.
The Carthage High School girls swim team finished third at the Winnetonka Holiday Invitational on Saturday.
Staley took first with 411.5 points, while Notre Dame de Sion was second with 328 and Carthage finished third with 316. There were 18 teams in attendance.
The Tigers took first in two of the three relays.
Carthage’s team of Madison Riley, Cassidy Smith, Nadya Housh and Hope Fultz took first in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 2:01.
Riley, Fultz, Housh and Smith won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:58.
The Tigers were second in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:51, with Ava Lacey, Aubree Santillan, Victoria Martinez and Fultz competing.
Riley won the 100 backstroke in 1:03 and she placed second in the 100 butterfly, with Housh seventh in the same event.
Smith placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke, with Mackenzie Polley ninth.
Housh finished sixth in the 200 individual medley, with teammate Santillan eighth.
Lacey finished fifth in the 200 freestyle and eighth in the 100 backstroke, while Santillan was fifth in the 100 backstroke.
Smith was seventh in the 50 freestyle, Elena Wright and Olivia Wright finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the 500 freestyle, while Fultz finished ninth in the 100 free.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Carl Junction and Webb City both had impressive showings in the first girls swim meet of the season on Tuesday night at the Buck Miner Swim Center.
The Bulldogs won all their head to head matchups, scoring 105 to Webb City’s 74 points, 106 to Monett’s 72 points, and 127 to Joplin’s 26 points. Their stellar showing was highlighted by first place wins in nine of the 12 events.
“I think they did fantastic,” Carl Junction coach Stephanie Miller said. “Our goal today was just to have fun and make it through the first set of events with nobody missing and nobody getting hurt. The 200 IM and the 500 races really stuck out to me, including the close race between Miller and Whitesell. I love a good race, and it was all exciting.”
Carl Junction’s Chloe Miller led the way in the water with wins in the 200-yard freestyle (2:07), the 500 freestyle (5:41), and was part of the 400 freestyle relay first place team (4:13).
Other CJ winners included Emma Lacey (100 butterfly, 1:07), Sophia Hensley (100 freestyle, 1:03), Kennedy Johnson (100 backstroke, 1:20) and Skyler Sundy (100 breaststroke, 1:20).
The Bulldogs also had numerous second and third place finishes.
“A lot of the girls did secondary races today just to get in the groove,” Coach Miller said. “We have a big meet on Saturday that we are looking forward to.”
Webb City won their head-to-head matchups with Joplin (139-29) and Monett (94-90). The Cardinals were led by Sophia Whitesell and Skylar Powell. Whitesell took first in the 200 individual medley (2:24) and Powell took first in the 50 freestyle (27.34).
In the relays, the Cardinals placed third in the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle, as well as placing fourth in the 200 medley.
“For it being our first meet back, a lot of the girls were surprisingly close to where they were last year,” Webb City coach Shawn Klosterman said. “It’s been nine months since they raced, but it’s going really well. We have a lot of new fish that are showing some talent. We have our returning swimmers who really want to do well at COC and want to try and get relays qualified (for state). It’s just a matter of how much do they want it and what kind of shape they can get in to do it.”
Despite not winning any of their head-to-head matchups, Joplin showed promising signs going forward.
Joplin’s Allie Lawrence took fifth in the 100 freestyle (1:11), while Taegan Smith was eighth in both the 200 IM (3:12) and the 100 breaststroke (1:33).
“We only had six competing today, and all of them improved in their times,” Joplin coach Juliana Hughes said. “Our medley relay was really strong, considering it was our first meet of the season. We have a couple first-time swimmers that did really amazing. I hope to improve on our relay times and for all of our swimmers to lower their individual times.”
Monett won their matchup against Joplin (132-33).
Webb City Invitational Dual Scores
Webb City 94, Monett 90
Webb City 139, Joplin 29
Carl Junction 105, Webb City 74
Carl Junction 106, Monett 72
Carl Junction 127, Joplin 26
Monett 132, Joplin 33
