Illness slows down Hobbs at state meet

ST. PETERS -- Allison Hobbs will long remember her weekend at the girls swimming and diving state championship, which concluded Saturday at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters.

Most of the memories will be good ones as Hobbs became the first girls swimmer in school history to advance to the championship round.

But the lasting memory may be her illness that affected her throughout the state meet.

"It's really a shame she had to get sick this week," Jackson coach Casey Brennan said. "She has been in excellent condition this year and she worked so hard all year to get here. She just was not at full strength this weekend and was not able to swim to her potential."

Hobbs was able to get out of the prelims in 15th place, but felt worse in her race Saturday.

"She got hit hard last night," Brennan said. "She did not sleep much and was coughing a lot."

But Hobbs said there was never a doubt that she would compete in the consolation finals Saturday.

"I was going to swim no matter how I felt," Hobbs said. "I just did not feel well at all this morning, but I knew I had to give it my best."

Her best was almost good enough to equal her mark from the preliminary round. She was out-touched at the wall, finishing 16th overall. Her time Saturday was 5 minutes, 24.45 seconds, which was one-hundredth of a second behind Merrill Thomas of MICDS. Hobbs swam a 5:22.67 in the prelims Friday.

"I just tried to go out and have fun and do the best I could," Hobbs said. "I was hoping I could do a little better. Hopefully I can get back and be healthy next year."

Hobbs may not have beaten anyone in the 500-yard freestyle Saturday, but Brennan still felt she swam like a champion.

"She was a real trooper today," Brennan said. "I am super proud of her to go out and give everything she had in her condition. I think we will see her back here on Saturday the next couple of years. I would like to see her in the top eight before she graduates. I think that is doable."

Blue Springs defended its team title this year. In fact, the top three teams were the same as last year with Springfield Glendale second and Lafayette third.