VOGT FLOATING LIKE A BUTTERFLY AFTER U.S. NATIONAL SWIM MEET

Erin Vogt returned to St. Louis Monday afternoon worn out but extremely satisfied.

Vogt, a former Cape Girardeau Central High student who is spending her senior season of high school in St. Louis, finished seventh over the weekend in the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. National Swimming Championships in Minneapolis.

The 100 fly was one of seven events in which Vogt competed during the national meet. She swam in four individual events and three relays with the Rockwood Swim Club, including the 400 medley relay that finished ninth.

And just the weekend prior to the national meet, Vogt had competed in the Junior National Championships and turned in the third best time in the nation in the 200 freestyle.

"I'm taking a week off from swimming," said a laughing Vogt when reached in St. Louis less than a half-hour after returning from Minneapolis. "I've been gone for the last two weeks and I need a break."

Not that Vogt was complaining. Her strong showing at the U.S. National Championships continued to solidify her as one of the nation's top young swimmers.

Vogt's time of 1:02.7 in the 100 fly met the 2000 Olympic Trials qualifying standard (she had also met the standard previously). Her goal entering the meet was to finish in the top eight in an event.

"There was one Olympian (Amy Van Dyken) and some NCAA champions in that race so it was really tough," she said. "I'm really happy with how I did."

Vogt actually qualified for the national meet in nine of 14 events, a feat bettered by only one swimmer.

Vogt, who also placed seventh in the 100 fly during last year's national championships, will have another major meet in August when the U.S. Summer Nationals are held in California.

Then it will be off to the University of Arizona, where Vogt will begin her college career for one of the nation's premier swimming programs.

"I'm looking forward to that," she said.

Vogt won a pair of high school state titles swimming for Cape Central during her freshman season. She didn't compete for the Lady Tigers as a sophomore and junior, instead swimming the club circuit.

Then last summer she came to St. Louis to train with the Rockwood Swim Club in order to be around better competition. She found she really enjoyed herself and was making tremendous improvements.

So Vogt and her mother Pat moved into an apartment in St. Louis and she enrolled at Marquette High, although she does not compete for the school's swimming team.

Even though she is away from many of the friends she grew up with -- along with her father, Fred, who continues to live in Cape -- Vogt is extremely happy with her move to St. Louis.

"I've just gotten so much better since I've been up here," she said. "It's really made a big difference for me."