Cape Central swimmer wins Class 1 championship in 100-yard butterfly

Cape Central sent only one swimmer to the Class 1 State Championship meet, but the Tigers brought their test.

Junior Phineas Theall won the Class 1 state championship in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 48.90 on Friday in St. Peter’s, Mo. Thursday was the first time Theall finished a state prelim race in 1st place prior to the finals. He also finished 5th place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.10, a full second better than his seed time.

“It’s very satisfying because I’ve been going for it for a while,” Theall said.

A Cape Central swimmer once held the Class 1 record in the 100-yard butterfly in 2017. Former Tiger Brogan Davis established the Class 1 record in 2017 at 48.81 seconds. It was broken last year by Matthew Judkins of Chaminade with a time of 48.76.

Theall is only less than a second away from topping that.

“Next year definitely,” Theall said, “I’m getting it back.”

Theall was named Boys’ Swimmer of the Year in the 2023 Semoball Awards after earning All-State honors with a seventh-place finish in the 200-freestyle last year. The butterfly is his best event and one where he can potentially leave high school with multiple state titles.

“It feels nice because it’s my favorite event,” Theall said. “I've just always been good at fly. Swimming it has always been my best event.”

Notre Dame sent six freshmen to the big meet. Kaiden Cracraft finished in 12th in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:48.02. He also finished in 9th place in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:51.97. Notre Dame freshman Hudson Dennis finished 9th place in the 200-yard IM with a time of 1:59.95, a new school record.

Carson Todd of Poplar Bluff finished 15th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.39.

The Saxony Lutheran duo of Thomas Hasz and Mason Landewee fell short of the finals. Thomas Hasz finished 22nd in the 200-yard Freestyle with a time of 1:52.82, and Mason Landewee finished that race in 29th place with a time of 1:55.88.

Jackson struggled in the Class 2 prelims on Friday, Nov. 10. The 400-yard freestyle relay was disqualified, as was Wade LaValle in the 50-yard freestyle race. He also finished 28th in the 200-yard freestyle race.

The 200-yard IM relay of LaValle, Jan Handke, Jace Glenn, and Timothy Deyong finished in 24th place with a time of 1:48.25. Handke finished 30th place in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 59.06.