Eight local swimmers and divers will compete at state swim meet

The eight-girl contingent representing Southeast Missouri at the MSHSAA State Girls Swimming and Diving Championships in St. Peters, Mo., features both experienced participants and youthful newcomers.

It should add up to an exciting weekend, one with high aspirations and attainable goals.

Jackson, coming off a third-place finish at last week's Show Me Conference meet but with six first-place performances, hopes to do well both individually and as a team. The Indians will send four swimmers to St. Peters, including senior Kyleigh Troxel, who was named the conference meet's Most Valuable swimmer, and freshman Caitlyn Palmer, both of whom will compete in four events.

MSHSAA rules limit swimmers to two individual events and four total.

"I feel good about what we've got going," Jackson coach Carol Baugh said. "Our 400 freestyle relay, we've been working on that all season."

Central senior Chleo LeGrand will compete in the diving competition for the third time.

That relay set a state-qualifying time in the season's first meet, and since then they've shaved 13 seconds off that time. Senior Jenny Powell and sophomore Lexie Burgi will join Troxel and Palmer in the event, which they won with a time of 3 minutes, 51.58 seconds at the conference meet, a whopping 15 seconds ahead of second-place Poplar Bluff.

Those four also will compete in the 200 medley relay, marking the first time in school history Jackson has sent two relay squads to the state meet.

"It's an honor if you get to compete in a state meet," Baugh said. "And if you finish in the top 16 and come back to swim Saturday [finals] it's kind of a cherry on top."

Burgi was a mid-season replacement for the freestyle relay team.

"She was determined and worked hard, and it paid off for her," Baugh said.

Troxel has finished in the top 16 in her three previous appearances at state. Her time in the 500 freestyle ranks fourth among state participants, while her time in the 200 freestyle is fifth. Palmer will compete in the 100 butterfly, where her time is ranked fifth, and in the 50 freestyle (ninth). Powell also will compete in the 100 freestyle.

Central's Chleo LeGrand qualified in the 1-meter diving and will be making her third appearance at state in the event. The senior, the Show Me Conference champion in the event with a score of 389.90, is excited but also acknowledged it'll be bittersweet because it's her last year.

"I love diving, and it will be sad when it's over," she said. "It's been a really good year."

LeGrand, whose best finish at state was 27th, hopes to place in the top 16.

"She's definitely had the best year of the four years she's been diving with us," Central coach Dayna Powell said. "She's a perfectionist. She's picked up things she can improve on from each dive and cleaned them up."

Powell added the Tigers' competition throughout the season enabled LeGrand to compete against some of the top divers in the state.

"She's already competed against three-fourths of all the other divers [at the meet]," Powell noted. "We would love to see a top 16 finish. The goal is the best score she's had and hope the results are enough for her to place."

Madison Heisserer will represent Notre Dame and swim the 100 backstroke, where she is the reigning conference champion, and the 200 freestyle. Her coach, Lenny Kuper, doesn't think the freshman will be rattled by the bright lights or the competition.

"She's been at big meets before with [her summer] team," Kuper said. "I think she's comfortable with her swimming ability."

Kuper stressed the importance of using the meet as a learning experience for the future.

"She's got three years left to prove she's got good things ahead of her," he said. "It will be a good learning experience for her."

Kuper also noted Heisserer is seeded well in both events, but her strength lies in the 100 backstroke, where she holds both school and conference (1:01.20) records.

"We expect to come back for the Saturday finals," he said. "A top-eight finish is not out of the question."

The Perryville/St. Vincent co-op team will feature junior Natalie King (St. Vincent), a three-time state qualifier who will swim the 100 backstroke, and freshman Brooke Hogard (Perryville), who will compete in diving.

"We've worked hard all week," coach Erin Hunter said. "They're very focused. All I ask is they try their best, stay calm, and stay focused."