CAPE GIRARDEAN IS WORLD-CLASS SWIMMER

A world-class swimmer who is earning recognition in far-off places calls Cape Girardeau home. That would be Jonathon Younghouse, a 1996 graduate of Central High School who will be a junior this fall at the University of Texas at Austin. After a strong sophomore year there, Younghouse has burst onto the national scene.

Competing in the United States Summer Nationals in Clovis, Calif. -- a meet featuring America's premier swimmers -- Younghouse finished second, third and sixth in three events to qualify for the prestigious 1999 Pan Pacific Championships in Sydney, Australia. That event is the biggest meet in the world during a non-Olympic year. It will be held in the same pool that will be host to the 2000 Olympics.

Younghouse topped his previous bests by quite a bit in all three events as he placed second in the 400-meter free-style (3:52.00), third in the 1500-meter free-style (15:25.79) and sixth in the 200-meter freestyle (1:50.50). As an added bonus, Younghouse's time in the free-style -- which bettered his previous career best by 4 1/2 seconds -- is the 10th-fastest time in the world this year.

Younghouse had an outstanding career here in Cape Girardeau. Let's face it: While we have long had a decent competitive swimming program for young people, Cape Girardeau isn't exactly known for turning out world-class swimmers. The fact that he got noticed by the coaches at Texas, one of the nation's premier NCAA Division I swimming programs, and has already accomplished so much, speaks extremely well for Younghouse.

Competitive swimming at the level Younghouse is participating in is an extraordinary undertaking involving tremendous discipline. Keep your eye in this young man. In less than two years, we could be cheering his exploits in the Olympics.