Poplar Bluff rides depth, relays to third straight SEMO swim crown

CAPE GIRARDEAU – The evolution of building a competitive boy’s swim team at Poplar Bluff High School didn’t occur overnight. It took years of constructing age group programs that trained in both the winter and summer, but that work was put on full display on Tuesday at the Student Recreation Center at Southeast Missouri State during the SEMO Conference Boy’s Swim Championship.

The Mules, which brought the largest roster (13 swimmers) to the meet of any of the six schools competing, got points from every one of their athletes and earned their third consecutive conference title with 382 points.

“At a meet like this,” Poplar Bluff senior Carson Todd said afterward, “even with our good-sized team, everybody scores a point. It doesn’t matter if you are dead last or second-to-last, everybody scores points and everybody plays a role.”

The Mules utilized their depth to sweep the three relay races, which are awarded double the points as compared to an individual race.

Todd, who was one of just two seniors (Isaac Cato) on the Mules, teamed with Henry Duncan, Owen McDaniel, and Cyrus Sagharichi to win the opening event, the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:46.54, which gave the foursome consideration time for next week’s MSHSAA Class 1 State Swim Championships at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.

Todd, Duncan, and Sagharichi joined Cato in winning the 200 free relay in a time of 1:33.47 (another consideration time), while Duncan, Connor Wiggs, Cato, and Sagharichi took the 400 free relay race in a time of 3:39.15 (another consideration time).

“In the relays,” Todd said, “we have to help each other. We have to make sure that we’re swimming into the wall fast so we can get a good switch off.

“It’s definitely a team sport.”

Todd took the lone individual race for Poplar Bluff, as he won the 50 free event in a time of 23.03 (consideration time).

Third-year Poplar Bluff coach Kyler Sowell said Todd has consideration times in the 50 and 100 free events, as well as the 200 IM, the 100 back, and relays.

“Carson has helped us tremendously,” Sowell said. “He is one of the great ones that I have seen come through this program.”

Notre Dame finished second in the team standings with 349 points after claiming four individual titles.

Kaiden Cracraft, who shared the meet Most Valuable Swimmer Award with teammate Hudson Dennis and Cape Central junior Phineas Theall, won the 200 free event (1:49.16, consideration time). He also won the 500 free (4:56.50, consideration time).

Hudson claimed the top spot in the 100 fly (54.77, consideration time) and 100 breast events (1:03.59, consideration time).

Theall won the 200 IM race (2:05.51, consideration time) and 100 free (46.99, consideration time).

Jackson got one championship in the 100 back event, which was won by Jan Handke (58.70, consideration time).

The Indians finished third as a team with 273 points, followed by Cape Central (249), Farmington (226), and Saxony Lutheran (86).