LADY TIGER SWIM TO TO SIXTH AT STATE MEET

SPRINGFIELD -- Despite not having a pool to call their own for the past five weeks and only having four state qualifiers, Cape Girardeau Central High's Lady Tigers made quite a splash Saturday as the Missouri State Championships.

The Lady Tigers tied the program's best-ever state finish by placing sixth out of 69 teams. They also earned all-state honors in five events and had all four of their state qualifiers earn all-state honors by finishing in the top six.

On April 13, wind ripped the nylon bubble that covers the Central Pool. Since then, the Lady Tigers went through 5:15 a.m. practices at Southeast Missouri State University's Parker Pool, which doesn't have starting blocks.

"To be sixth without a pool and to do what these girls have done the last five weeks is just tremendous," said Central coach Dayna Powell. "But we didn't want to use the pool thing as an excuse. We just went out and did our best."

Central finished with 79 points. Lafayette of St. Louis won the state title with 189 points. Rounding out the top five were Columbia Hickman (177), St. Louis Marquette (168), St. Louis MICDS (114) and Lee's Summit North (92).

Grace Freeman earned two individual all-state honors by placing second in the 50 freestyle (25.04) and fifth in the 100 freestyle (54.42).

Mary Beth Owen was all-state in the 100 backstroke by placing sixth (1:00.97) and she also nabbed eighth in the 200 freestyle (1:57.68).

Freeman and Owen also joined Central's other two competitors -- Jean Maguire and Jennifer Freeze -- in earning two all-state relay honors.

Central's 400 freestyle relay was fourth (3:43.68) and the Lady Tigers' 200 freestyle relay was fifth (1:43.82).

"The girls all just did a tremendous job," said Powell. "We've also been sixth (in the state) two other years, but getting sixth with only four swimmers is special."

And what's also special is that the four Lady Tigers who accounted for all the state points are underclassmen. Owen is a freshman, Maguire is a sophomore and Freeman and Freeze are both juniors.

"We're already looking forward to next year," Powell said.