State championships within sight for area swimmers

Every coach wants his/her swimmers to go fast at this week’s MSHSAA Girl’s Class 1 and 2 State Swim Meet at the St. Peters Rec-Plex. However, veteran Cape Central coach Dayna Powell KNOWS that she has a collection of swimmers, though not mighty in numbers, that can swim REALLY fast.

“We are only taking four girls,” Powell said of the Class 1 competition on Friday and Saturday, “but three of the girls were on the state championship team last year.”

The Tigers return seniors Sydney Ringwald and Isabella Pattengill, along with sophomore Kennedy Ringwald, each of whom scored points and helped Cape Central get past Clayton by 1.50 points for the 2024 title.

Cape Central graduated 14 seniors from last year’s team, six of whom competed at the State Finals, but Powell did pick up the fastest freshman in Missouri.

Newcomer Karsynne McAlister is seeded first in the 50 free this week, just a notch ahead of teammate and 2024 state champion, Sydney Ringwald, who is seeded second in the race.

“Picking up Karsynne has been amazing,” Powell said.

A year ago, the Ringwalds and Pattengill joined then-senior Emilie Dickson to win the 200 free relay race at the state meet in a time of 1:38.91, which was barely behind the Class 1 record time of 1:38.23.

In early January, untapered, the Ringwalds, Pattengill, and McAlister swam a time of 1:38.79 at the COMO Invitational, which has the group seeded first in that race this week.

The same group is seeded second in the 400 free relay, of which the two Ringwalds finished second last year, just behind St. Joseph’s Academy, which finished fifth as a team in the 2024 Class 2 meet.

It remains to be seen if Sydney Ringwald can defend her state title in the 50 free, but she’ll have the opportunity to defend it in the 100 free, as well, as she is the top seed.

“Our training has been pretty good,” Powell said. “But it is hard losing those 14 girls.”

McAlister is seeded eighth in the 100 back while Kennedy Ringwald has the opportunity to score points again after doing so in the 200 (14th place in 2024) and 100 free (12th) events as a freshman.

Kennedy is seeded seventh in the 200 free and eighth in the 500 free.

Pattengill had three top 10 finishes as a junior (50 and 100 free, medley relay), and is seeded 10th this time in both the 50 and 100 free races.

Other schools

Notre Dame will send the 200 medley relay squad of sophomore Kyra Langenstein (back), freshman Martina Ressel (breast), senior Hannah Bledsoe (fly), and senior Isabelle Seyer (free), which is seeded 32nd.

The Bulldogs’ 400 free relay group is seeded 31st overall while Langenstein will compete in the 100 back event and is seeded 26th.

Poplar Bluff has some athletes competing with junior Keira Willis seeded 27th in the 50 free and junior Allison Williamson (diving) in the meet.

Walters pursuing a state title

Jackson High School senior Ava Walters is making her fourth and final appearance at the Class 2 State Meet and has a shot at a championship in the 100 back event.

Walters swam a SEMO Conference record time of 57.92 in the recent conference meet and is seeded second this week.

The Indians have placed squads in the 200 medley relay (seeded 25th), 200 free relay (22nd), and 400 free relay (21st) events.

Walters is seeded 12th in the 200 IM while sophomore Lynlee Lavalle, who shared Most Valuable Swimmer honors with McAlister at the recent SEMO Conference Meet, is seeded 11th in the 500 free.

The Class 2 swimming prelims will be on Thursday at noon with diving at 4:30 p.m.

The Finals for Class 2 will be at 10 a.m. on Friday.

For Class 1 swimmers, their prelims begin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday with the diving competition at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The Class 1 Swim Finals will be Saturday at 3 p.m.