CAPE CENTRAL SWIMMERS TRY TO KEEP STREAK OF TOP-10 STATE FINISHES ALIVE

Cape Girardeau Central High's girls swimming team will try to keep quite a streak going when the Missouri State Championships are held Friday and Saturday in Columbia.

The Lady Tigers have finished among the top 10 teams at the state meet for six consecutive seasons, missing that mark during only the first year of the program's eight-year existence.

"Our girls have been in the top 10 every year except the first season when we started the team," said Central coach Dayna Powell, whose squad was sixth in the state meet last season. "We've got a young team and it might be a little tougher to get in the top 10 this year, but that's our goal."

Central will be led by sophomore Grace Freeman, who had a sensational freshman season and is a state title contender this weekend.

Freeman finished fourth in the 50 freestyle and seventh in the 100 freestyle during last year's state meet. She also anchored the Lady Tigers' state champion 200 freestyle relay team in 1996 and swam a leg on Central's 400 freestyle relay squad that was second in the state.

This season, Freeman is undefeated in the 100 freestyle and has only lost once in the 50 freestyle.

"You never really know, but I would say Grace is definitely favored to be one of the top swimmers in both events," said Powell. "She really came on strong last year and she's been even better this year. She definitely has the potential to win a state title."

Senior Laura Dombrowski has qualified for state in the 100 freestyle and she also swam legs on last year's 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams that fared so well.

Central's third individual state qualifier is freshman Jean Maguire, who will compete in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly.

The Lady Tigers have again qualified for the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, with Freeman, Dombrowski and Maguire joining sophomore Jennifer Freeze on those teams.

One other relay, the medley, will also compete this weekend. That team is made up of senior Elizabeth Green, sophomore Courtney Maguire, Freeze and Dombrowski.

"If our relays do well, which they have a chance to do, then I think we can finish in the top 10 again," Powell said. "We're looking forward to the meet."