Lady Mules regroup after loss of senior

By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor

The new year looked bright for the Poplar Bluff swim team following a team victory Dec. 29.

But the Lady Mules started 2008 without Nancy Sorrell, who sustained season-ending injuries in a car accident. The senior was still in the hospital when her teammates lost Friday night to Notre Dame 132-37.

The short-handed Lady Mules didn't win a race and finished second in only one individual event at the Black River Aquatic Center.

"Alexa Hon definitely came in for us and took one for the team," Lady Mules coach Beth Lewis said. "I don't want to say that we could replace Nancy -- we'll never be able to replace her -- but Jackie LeGrand came in and did an amazing job in everything she's done."

LeGrand and fellow senior Hon helped fill in for Sorrell, who won the 200-freestyle on Dec. 29 against St. Vincent and Saxony Lutheran.

Lewis said Sorrell hopes to help the team as manager when she returns.

Hon finished fourth in both the 200 and 500 freestyle races Friday night while LeGrand lowered her times in the 50 and 100 freestyle races.

Lauren Decker finished second in the 100 backstroke in 1 minute, 17.19 seconds after winning the event Dec. 29 in 1:24.24. The senior was third in the 50 freestyle Friday night at 31.03 while Kayla Huett (31.28) followed in fifth and LeGrand (32.28) was sixth.

Jade Floyd, who won the 100 butterfly on Dec. 29 in 1:33.09, improved by 10.15 seconds Friday night but finished fourth behind Hannah Crites time of 1:19.47. Floyd was third in the 200-individual medley at 2:43.93.

"Crites did an amazing job in the fly," Lewis said.

Crites was fourth in the 100 breaststroke Friday with a time of 1:34.53 while freshman Kirstina Baker followed in 1:45.25.

Huett was fourth in the 100 freestyle in 1:16.03 followed by LeGrand (1:17.81) and Anna Lampe (1:21.9).

In the relays, Poplar Bluff's 200-medley team finished 2 seconds off the school record as Decker, Crites, Floyd and Huett combined for a time of 2:21.43. The four won Dec. 29 with a time of 2:42.

"We're going to break it with that (lineup)," Lewis said.

Huett, Crites, Lampe and Decker finished second in the 200-freestyle relay in 2:09.44, less than 10 seconds behind Notre Dame. The 400-freestyle relay of Floyd, LeGrand, Lampe and Jordan Widman finished fourth in 5:34.81 to finish the night.

Poplar Bluff, which beat Saxony Lutheran 114-70 in the meet Dec. 29, travels to Cape Central on Jan. 17.