Semoball Awards: Phineas Theall takes home Boys Swimming and Diving honor

Cape Central’s boys swimming program features some talented performers.

Perhaps their best performer this season was Phineas Theall, who was awarded the Boys Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year at the 2023 Semoball Awards presented by SoutheastHEALTH on Friday, July 14, at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau.

Theall said the award holds significance to him because of the work he put in to be successful.

“It’s nice to have,” Theall said. “I worked hard in the high school season for it.”

Theall said his training consists of striving to beat his times from previous meets.

“I usually go for goal times during sets,” Theall said. “Sometimes I will ask for a harder set if I don’t think it’s difficult enough for me.”

Tigers coach Dayna Powell had high praise for the work ethic Theall brings every day.

“He is a very hard worker,” Powell said. “He is a student of the sport. He will study his start and he will watch videos and he does a lot of that on his own.”

Powell said Theall’s work ethic is what allows him to have so much success.

“He got into the weight room after last season,” Powell said. “He’s really built his strength. In swimming, when you’re lifting weights we have to do the opposite things with the muscles. We do want to build strength and he was really smart in the way he worked in the offseason.”

Theall said he feels as he’s gotten older, he’s improved.

“I’ve improved a lot in the last two or three years,” Theall said. “High school season has helped with that because there are constantly swim meets and competitions that I can do that will test me.”

One of the most exciting things for Theall and the Tigers coaching staff is that come August, he will only be a junior.

“The success he had at sectionals was just amazing,” Powell said. “We’re really thrilled and excited to see what he does this fall.”

Theall said he has spent some of the summer thinking of personal and team goals he hopes to accomplish this season.

“I would really like us to win the conference championship,” Theall said. “As far as personal goals, there’s a few goal times I have in mind. If I win anything at state again, that would be very nice.”

Theall and the Tigers will begin the 2023 season at 3 p.m. when the Tigers host Jackson in their first home meet of the season.