Cape Central boys swimming team claims second straight conference crown

As the final team standings were announced at Thursday's Show-Me Conference boys swimming meet, a deafening roar erupted from a jubilant group that was huddled together.

It was the Cape Central squad, and for the second year in a row, the Tigers were conference champions.

Central moved ahead of Notre Dame over the final two events, taking the top spot in the team standings with 595 points at the Central Municipal Pool.

"Sometimes it's hard to convince your fourth guy in the event how important he is. We had figured this very close, so we knew that every little thing would count," said Central coach Dayna Powell, whose team was set back early on in the meet after one of her swimmers was disqualified in the 200-meter individual medley. "... We didn't know if we could recover, and we got a few places where people stepped up. We had some seniors swim tonight that were just breakout swims.

"It was great fun, and it brings an individual sport into a team effort. There's just nothing better than that."

Cape Central coach Dayna Powell congratulates Brogan Davis on a win during the Show-Me Conference meet Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 at the Central Municipal Pool. (Glenn Landberg)

The Tigers won 11 of the 12 events, including a pair of individual first-place finishes from sophomore Brogan Davis, who took home honors for most valuable swimmer.

"It was definitely an exciting meet," Davis said. "We were up-and-down, up-and-down, so those last two events was really a team-bonding time for us. It was great fun and even more fun to win."

Davis placed first in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1 minute, 56.51 seconds and won the 100 butterfly in 50.83, both of which were conference records. He also helped lead Central to first-place finishes in the 200 medley relay (1:41.35) and 400 freestyle relay (3:25.72). He became the Tigers' first swimmer in school history to qualify for state in all eight individual swimming events earlier this month and has the top state-qualifying cut in the 100 butterfly (50.26), according to Powell.

"One thing about being No. 1 means that everybody is coming after you, but if anybody can handle that pressure, it is Brogan Davis," Powell said. "Brogan tonight was incredible. He really didn't have a race, and he was still just pounding those times and breaking records."

Tigers senior John Young capped off his final conference meet with two first-place finishes. He qualified for state in both the 50 freestyle (22.74) and 100 freestyle (50.26).

Notre Dame's Mitchell Heisserer swims in heat two of the 200 yard IM during the Show-Me Conference meet Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 at the Central Municipal Pool. (Glenn Landberg)

"I feel amazing. It's my senior year, and it's great to finish this season off with a bang," Young said. "... Being conference champs again is the best feeling I've ever had in my life."

Powell said she was anticipating a big day from Young, a four-year swimmer who's been to state since he was a sophomore.

"It speaks volumes about John and his commitment to the program and his work ethic," Powell said. "He's a second-year team captain and has really stepped up and done a nice job."

Junior Reagan Ragsdale continued to shine for the Tigers, finishing first with state-qualifying cuts in both the 200 freestyle (1:46.58) and 100 backstroke (56.57). Ragsdale, who transferred from Farmington this season, was also the first leg on Central's 200 freestyle relay team, which finished first in 1:35.37.

Four Tigers had two individual first-place finishes, including sophomore Sam Hahs, who missed several weeks with a stress fracture in his lower back but bounced back by finishing first in both the 500 freestyle (5:03.92) and 100 breaststroke (1:01.90).

"Reagan's been a huge addition coming in this year," Powell said. "... Of course, Brogan and Sam are swimming faster now than they did last year, so it just gets better and better."

Jackson's Jack Gard dives off the block during the 200 yard medley relay at the Show-Me Conference meet Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 at the Central Municipal Pool. (Glenn Landberg)

Central finished 32 points ahead of the Bulldogs, who took second with 563 points. Jackson placed third with 283 points, followed by Farmington (187) in fourth and Saxony Lutheran (31) in fifth.

Jack Rinehart placed first for the Indians in the diving event with a score of 304.20.

Powell remains very optimistic about her team's chances at the state championships, which are slated for Nov. 6 and 7 at the City of St. Peters Rec-Plex in St. Peters, Missouri.

"The boys know we have kind of a progression we go through the season, and they know it's championship season," Powell said. "The guys, who this is their last meet, they showed up tonight and brought that trophy back to Cape Central."

Team scores -- 1. Cape Central 595; 2. Notre Dame 563; 3. Jackson 283; 4. Farmington 187; 5. Saxony Lutheran 31

Local top three finishers

200 medley relay -- 1. Cape Central (Reed Dickson, Sam Hahs, Brogan Davis, John Young) 1:41.35; 2. Notre Dame (David Carman, Lucas Hurley, Mitchell Heisserer, Mark Shen) 1:52.43; 3. Jackson (Tra Statler, Peyton Strand, Jack Gard, Easton Wyatt) 2:01.40

200 freestyle -- 1. Reagan Ragsdale (CC) 1:46.58; 2. Drew Beussink (ND) 1:53.44; 3. Gard (J) 1:55.44

200 individual medley -- 1. Davis (CC) 1:56.51; 2. Heisserer (ND) 2:14.57; 3. Ian Cameron (SL) 2:15.72

50 freestyle -- 1. Young (CC) 22.74; 2. Dickson (CC) 23.37; 3. Shen (ND) 24.72

1-meter diving -- 1. Jack Rinehart (J) 304.20; 2. Cyrus Woollard (CC) 291.65; 3. Nate Stovall (ND) 276.45

100 butterfly -- 1. Davis (CC) 50.83; 2. Statler (J) 57.39; 3. Heisserer (ND) 58.71

100 freestyle -- 1. Young (CC) 50.26; 2. Bill Kapp (ND) 53.66; 3. Davis Deimund (CC) 53.97

500 freestyle -- 1. Hahs (CC) 5:03.92; 2. Gard (J) 5:10.91; 3. Beussink (ND) 5:11.23

200 freestyle relay -- 1. Cape Central (Ragsdale, Hahs, Deiumund, Dickson) 1:35.37; 2. Notre Dame (Hurley, Dylan King, Kapp, Beussink) 1:39.98; 3. Jackson (Statler, Wyatt, Trevor Smith, Gard) 1:47.12

100 backstroke -- 1. Ragsdale (CC) 56.57; 2. Dickson (CC) 59.97; 3. Statler (J) 1:01.48

100 breaststroke -- 1. Hahs (CC) 1:01.90; 2. Ashton Hopper (ND) 1:10.18; 3. Tim Huey (CC) 1:12.74

400 freestyle relay -- 1. Cape Central (Davis, Hyrum Dickson, Young, Ragsdale) 3:25.72; 2. Notre Dame (Heisserer, Kapp, Beussink, Shen) 3:38.54; 3. Jackson (Bret Clayton, Austin Arnzen, Sam Rinehart, Brandon Pemberton) 4:31.68