It’s been reload, not rebuild, for defending Class 1 state champion Glendale.
The Falcons displayed some of their young depth in Tuesday night’s Ozark Conference Championships at Foster Natatorium in Springfield.
Led by a number of swimmers finishing in the two-through-six range, Glendale claimed the league title with a team total of 327.5 points. Kickapoo took second (254.5) and Camdenton placed third (147).
“Only recently has girls’ swimming became an official (conference) sport, so this counts on those conference all-sports trophies that schools do,” said Glendale coach Steve Boyce. “It’s cool to be able to compare that to our friends who play basketball and do a home (game) and away (game) with everybody in the conference.
“We get to have this meet toward the end of season, and (tonight), go out and win it.”
Glendale won three events on the night. Senior Ashley Baldwin placed first in the 100 freestyle and Hannah Rohrbaugh led a sweep of the 100 butterfly. The Falcons’ 200 freestyle relay team also placed first (1:46.85).
It was a rough start for the Falcons, who were disqualified in the 200-medley relay.
“I was really impressed with our young girls rallying and picking us up,” Boyce said. “In the next event (200 freestyle), a couple of our freshmen came back and made their state-consideration times. They dropped a couple of seconds and really put themselves on the podium for us to score bigger points.”
Rohrbaugh, Kate Sherard, Kelsey Boyce and Evie Duncan led a Glendale sweep in the 100 butterfly.
“That was cool, to go 1-through-4,” Boyce said. “You can only put four (swimmers) in an event. That was awesome. It kind of started a nice little roll for us.”
The Falcons will head to St. Peter’s next month seeking their fourth state championship since the 2012-13 season.
“We’ve had to build up our team with some younger swimmers who have really stepped up,” Baldwin said. “It’s exciting to see us still be able to compete at a state level.”
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Baldwin balances flying and swimming
If she’s not in the water, you may be able to find Ashley Baldwin in the air.
The Glendale senior is a licensed pilot.
“I’ve always loved flying,” Baldwin said. “I started taking lessons over the summer. Mid-November, I ended up getting my private pilot’s license.”
Make no mistake: Baldwin is just as comfortable in the water. At state last year, she placed fifth in the 50 freestyle and second in the 100 freestyle.
On Tuesday night, she placed first in the 100 freestyle with a time of 55.07.
“I’ve been struggling a bit in it since the start of the season, just getting in shape and everything,” Baldwin said. “It was exciting to get that state cut this week and see that hard work paying off.”
Baldwin’s aiming for gold at state next month. After that, it’s more time to fly.
“I’m just trying to have as much fun as I can and do as best I can,” she said. “In the end, I’m trying to have a fun season.”
Baldwin said she’s flown all over the region, including trips to Kansas City, Arkansas and Kansas. She plans to attend Auburn University and join their aviation program.
“It’s a pretty good program down there,” Baldwin said.
Central’s Richards stays busy
After finishing the grueling 500 freestyle, Hailey Richards got out of the water and seemingly got back in line, ready for more.
The 200 freestyle relay was up next, and Richards was the anchor leg for Central.
No time to worry about fatigue.
“That’s OK, I’m used to it at this point,” she said afterwards, laughing. “I’m good.”
Richards finished top-three in three events on Tuesday. She won the 200 IM (2:20.55), placed second in the 500 and helped Central to a third-place finish in the 200 relay.
Between sprints and long distance, Richards prefers the latter.
“(The 500) is really hard but I have more control, which I like,” Richards said. “With sprinting, it’s more like, ‘Go, go, go’ and if one thing’s wrong, you’re kind of out. With the 500, if I mess up a little bit, I can get the control back.”
Richards has a goal of 5:15 in the 500.
“If I can, I’d love to do that. It’s been my goal since last year,” she said. “I’m still trying to get there.”
Among area competition, Richards is a leader in three individual events: the 200 IM, the 500 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke.
But with Central in Class 2, she’ll be competing amongst a stacked field at state next month.
“It’s hard, because you see all these girls and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re so fast,’” Richards said. “I think in the end, you’re the one swimming and even if the other girls are fast, you have to realize, ‘I can’t do anything about that. I just have to worry about me.’”
Parkview’s Duchscherer a contender in multiple events
A non-Glendale swimmer to watch in St. Peter’s next month figures to be Parkview junior Audrey Duchscherer.
Among Class 1 competition, she ranks in the top eight in three events: the 100 free, the 200 free and the 100 backstroke. She’s also top 25 in the 200 IM.
“I have more confidence this year, because I’ve been doing high school swimming for three years,” she said. “It was a little weird before. It’s so much different than the club scene.”
Duchscherer took first in the 200 freestyle (2:00.63) and the 100 backstroke (1:02.59) on Tuesday night.
“I think it was pretty good,” she said. “I felt good in the water. This is kind of like a mid-season meet, so I’d like to go faster going into state. But overall, I felt good tonight.”
As a sophomore last year, Duchscherer placed fifth in the 200 freestyle. She said she wants to cut her 200 freestyle time down to the 1:55-1:57 range by state.
Ozark Conference Championships
Team standings (top three)
1. Glendale 327.5
2. Kickapoo 254.5
3. Camdenton 147
Event results
200 medley relay – Kickapoo, 2:01.58
200 freestyle – Audrey Duchscherer, Parkview, 2:00.63
200 IM – Hailey Richards, Central, 2:20.55
50 freestyle – Mikaila Duncan, Waynesville, 26.12
1-meter diving – Chloe Cothern, Kickapoo, 420.40
100 butterfly – Hannah Rohrbaugh, Glendale, 1:05.46
100 freestyle – Ashley Baldwin, Glendale, 55.07
500 freestyle – Lilly Doss, Kickapoo, 5:31.82
200 freestyle relay – Glendale, 1:46.85
100 backstroke – Audrey Duchscherer, Parkview, 1:02.59
100 breaststroke – Paige Lenahan, Kickapoo, 1:17.14
400 freestyle relay – Kickapoo, 3:57.25
