Tigers' Kinder wins top honors in talented pool

~ The Central junior won two events and was the swimmer of meet at Parkway South.

MANCHESTER, Mo. -- Four of the top five teams from last year's state meet took part in Saturday's Parkway South Invitational.

But the swimmer who received the roses as the top swimmer in the 20th meet didn't come from those four schools -- Lafayette, Parkway South, Marquette or Columbia Hickman.

Central junior Hannah Kinder claimed the honor after winning both the 200-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke in the nine-team meet.

"It's nice because those are my 'off' events," said Kinder, a sprinter who finished third in state last year in both the 50 free and the 100 free. "This is like a mini-state meet. It gives you a chance to see what the state meet might be like."

If that is the case, Kinder could be back on the medalists stand next month at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters, Mo.

"Grace Freeman and Erin Vogt have received outstanding swimmer awards in this meet," Central coach Dayna Powell said, "and it is quite an honor with teams like Lafayette, Marquette and Parkway South competing.

"I would have been disappointed if Hannah did not win the award this year. She excelled in events which are not her specialty. This shows how versatile a swimmer she is. Hannah has the combination you don't always see with someone who is very talented and also a very hard worker. And she is very competitive. She doesn't like it when someone touches the wall before she does."

That didn't happen Saturday.

Kinder won the 200-free with a school record time of 1 minute, 52.95 seconds. Jenna Harris of Webster Groves was second in 1:53.53.

Kinder finished the 100 backstroke in 59.95 seconds. Cory Miller of Marquette was second in 1:00.41.

"The backstroke was anybody's race 75 yards into it," Powell said. "But Hannah's competitiveness came out in those last 25 yards."

Kinder also had a chance to scout one of her top competitors for the state sprinting titles. Marisa Rodriguez of Lafayette won both the 50 free and 100 free.

"I think it will make state even more exciting since those two will not meet during the regular season," Powell said.

Kinder will be going into the state meet with a lot of confidence.

"My goal is to be a state champion," said Kinder, who added that she has beaten defending 50 and 100 state champion Tarin Corwin of Blue Springs "every time I have faced her recently, although I haven't beaten her time from state last year."

Lafayette won the team title for the 14th time in the 20-year history of the meet. The Lancers had 266 points. Marquette was second with 218 points, while Webster Groves was third with 209 points.

Cape Central finished eighth with 71 points, one point behind Springfield Kickapoo.

Freshman Annie Wolpers was the only other Tigers swimmer to reach the finals in an open event. She finished 10th in the 100 free.