Kinder excels in Tigers' loss to Nerinx Hall

Hannah Kinder is the kind of person Central girls swimming coach Dayna Powell likes having on the team.

"She's a great teammate," Powell said. "She's concerned about others on the team. She's very unassuming and encouraging to others."

It doesn't hurt that Kinder also has the kind of talent which may lead to some all-state honors in this, her sophomore season.

Kinder won two events and was part of a first-place relay Thursday in Central's 106-80 loss to Nerinx Hall Academy of Webster Groves, Mo.

Other event winners for Central in the meet were Jessi Yarbro, who captured the 200 individual medley in 2:37.34; Brianna LeGrand, who won the 500 free in 6:16.43; and the 400 free relay team of Katie Bowles, Joanna Taleno, Amy Bickings and Kinder, which finished in 4:13.21, a little more than 10 seconds off the state cut.

Kinder has qualified for state in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 freestyle events and might have a few more cracks at the backstroke before the end of the regular season. She expects to concentrate on the 50 and 100 free in the state meet.

"I'm better at those," Kinder said. "I haven't been swimming long enough to get good at the distances."

"Last year in high school, I had pretty good times for not swimming that much," Kinder said, "and that made me want to get better. I used to play basketball and run cross country, but once I started swimming year-round, I couldn't do those."

Her commitment has paid off in the pool. Kinder was a double winner Saturday in the City of Roses meet, capturing the 50 and 100 freestyle events. Her performance earned her a share of the meet's first Jeanette Miles Memorial Athlete of the Meet, an award named in honor of Powell's mother.

"I'm really happy with all my times," Kinder said. "I'm hoping to get in the top three [at state], maybe a first."

Said Powell: "I think she could score in anything at state, but I think she enjoys the sprints."

Kinder will get some competition in the sprints Thursday when Central swims at state power Lafayette. Lancers sophomore Marisa Rodriguez was second in the 50 free and third in the 100 free at state last year. The Tigers compete in the Parkway South Invitational, which Powell called a "mini state meet," on April 22 and 23.

Those will help prepare the team for the Show-Me Conference meet, which begins with diving May 4 at Central Municipal Pool and concludes with swimming events May 5 in Poplar Bluff.

"We're going to be working on getting the girls to be more aggressive," Powell said. "We want them to go to the blocks not just to swim, but to race."

NERINX HALL 106, CENTRAL 80

Central event winners

200 IM -- Jessi Yarbro, 2:37.34.

50 free -- Hannah Kinder, 25.84.

500 free -- Brianna LeGrand, 6:16.43.

100 back -- Kinder, 1:06.62.

400 free -- Central (Katie Bowles, Joanna Taleno, Amy Bickings, Kinder), 4:13.21.