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By Matt Turer — @MattTurer
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Records were falling left and right, and two swimmers were to blame.
Summit Prep/NCA senior and Arkansas commit Molly Moore broke three of her own meet records, Logan-Rogersville sophomore Cabrini Johnson added another and Glendale took the team title in Saturday’s Southwest Missouri Swim Championships at John Foster Natatorium.
Both Moore and Johnson took home two individual gold medals.
Glendale won the meet with 552 points. Kickapoo finished second with 316. Rounding out the top five was Webb City (289), Summit Prep/New Covenant Academy (274) and Ozark (268).
“It was a good weekend today for Glendale,” Falcons coach Steve Boyce said. “Scored a lot of points and picked up some fast swims. Improved some of the times we already had for state and added a few in there. It was a lot of fun.”
Thirteen Falcons now hold individual state qualifying times, meaning Glendale is in good position to be highly competitive at the state meet in two weeks.
“Unbelievable to have half our team making cuts to go to state,” Boyce said. “It’s a good problem to have. It’s easier to make a state cut than it is to get on one of our relays.”
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We Want Some Moore
Moore crushed her pool record just set on Friday (57.25) in the 100-yard backstroke by swimming a 54.82 in the most impressive individual performance of the championships. Nixa’s Olivia Stoneman took second (59.11) and Glendale’s Maddie Duncan was third (1:01.56).
“It didn’t even feel that fast,” Moore said. “I was looking for a low-to-mid 55 and when I touched the wall I did not expect to see a 54, but I’m really happy about it.
“It’s really inspiring and motivating to see that all the hard work does pay off, and all the coaching that coach [Alex] Miller has helped me with. All he does for our team is really awesome to see pay off.”
Moore (Summit Prep/NCA) also won the 50-yard freestyle (23.27) and broke her own pool and meet record in the process. She previously set that record in 2017 (23.57). Glendale’s Ashley Baldwin finished second (24.80) and Webb City’s Mary Bean took third (25.07).
But Summit Prep’s dominance didn’t end with Moore.
The 200-yard freestyle was won by Summit Prep/NCA’s Faith Guyer (1:58.08). Kickapoo’s Lilly Doss (1:58.56) finished second and Ozark’s Chloe Nelson (1:59.60) was third.
The Summit Prep/NCA team of Guyer, Workman, Eden Chiu-Pinheiro and Moore won the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:41.40). The Glendale group of Eleza Frevert, Danielle Robinson, Duncan and Baldwin finished second (1:42.25) and the Central group of Emma Haugland-Mackey, Katie Lu, Miranda Allen and Hailey Richards was third (1:43.91).
Summit Prep’s speed showed again in the 400-yard freestyle with a winning time of 3:40.86, just under three seconds short of a 2009 meet record held by Glendale (3:38.00). Moore’s final leg in that relay broke yet another meet record. Ozark placed second in the event (3:51.24) and Glendale was third (3:52.87).
“This is the day as a coach you hope for, and it was everything I hoped and more,” Miller said. “When you can put four times together like we can right now, it gives me confidence as a coach that they’re heading the way I want them to go.”
Johnson into the record books
Logan-Rogersville sophomore Cabrini Johnson had a huge individual day, winning two events and setting a meet record.
The meet record came in the final individual event of the day with a 1:06.55 swim in the 100-yard breaststroke. That time broke a 2009 meet record held by Deanna Sorenson (1:07.03) of Glendale. The pool record (1:03.04) was set in 2007 by Parkway South’s Liz Smith. Glendale’s Robinson finished second (1:08.02) and Carl Junction’s Madeline Wilson took third (1:09.89).
Johnson won the 500-yard freestyle in dominant fashion, finishing in 5:11.56. Summit Prep/NCA’s Alexis Workman placed second (5:29.97) and Kickapoo’s Doss was third (5:34.37). Johnson’s time wasn’t far off the meet record (5:07.06) set in 2012 or the pool record (5:06.99) set in 2009. She cut nearly eight seconds off her prelim time in the event (5:19.14).
Glendale’s team dominance continues
The Glendale team of Duncan, Robinson, Audrey Mace and Baldwin opened the meet with a gold for the Falcons (1:50.02) in the 200-yard medley relay. The Webb City grouping of Anna Swearengen, Anzhela Orlenko, Mary Bean and Kelly Mort was second (1:55.33) and the Carl Junction team of Corinne Miller, Emma Lacey, Wilson and Kiera Holt was third (1:56.88).
Glendale’s Duncan took first in the 200-yard individual medley (2:15.42). A Central pair in Richards (2:16.67) and Haugland-Mackey (2:19.36) finished second and third.
More individual event dominance
Nixa’s Olivia Stoneman saw a big jump from her preliminary time of 59.44 in the 100-yard butterfly, winning the final in 57.74. Ozark’s Chloe Nelson was second (1:00.50) and Webb City’s Mary Bean finished third (1:00.93).
The biggest individual celebration of the day happened in the 100-yard freestyle when Carl Junction’s Wilson won in 53.99. Wilson pounded the water and fist pumped after breaking 54.00 for the first time in her career in the 100 free. Glendale’s Baldwin finished second (54.23) and Summit Prep/NCA’s Guyer was third (54.56).
“I’m just really excited to go to 53,” Wilson said. “I’ve been wanting this for a while. All the teams here will be at state, so I feel like I have a really good shot at state.”
The morning diving championship was won by Kickapoo’s Chloe Cothern (414.30). Central’s Meg Swords finished second (343.50) and Webb City’s Ashley Cole was third (340.90).
Top 10: Glendale 552, Kickapoo 316, Webb City 289, Summit Prep/NCA 274, Ozark 268, Carl Junction 255, Central 225, Logan-Rogersville 206, Monett 168, Nixa 159
