The 37th Annual Swim Championships To Be Decided Later Today

The champions of the 37th annual swim championships will be determined starting today at 3 p.m. at the Rec Plex in St. Peters.

A new champion will be crowned. It is not likely the girls of Parkway West will repeat this time around. No official points are kept in this wall to wall action semifinals. Steve Boyce of Springfield Glendale is keeping his own unofficial tally.

“I believe its us or Columbia Rock Bridge,” he said.

Any hopes of Villa Duchesne jumping from a tie for sixth last year faded in the last event of the night. In explicably, the swimming Saints faded badly in the final 400 freestyle relay, something they had dominated all year long. They finished in ninth place and one place out of the championship field.

They could set a national swim championship record and it wouldn’t matter. The top points go to the eight qualifiers in each race.

Mary Institute Country Day could take their place. Annie Goessling (University of North Carolina) is bidding for the breast stroke title and the Rams have three in diving, maybe just enough points to eke out some kind of title.

Here’s a look in a nutshell how each of the 12 events should come out later today:

200 yard medley relay

Fort Zumwalt West had the top qualifying time (1:49.32) and Blue Springs and Glendale are next.

200 yard freestyle

Chelsea Tatlow, favored in several events should win for Rock Bridge. Maddie Wall of Ladue qualified second with a time of 1:51.79.

200 yard individual medley

Parkway North’s Heather Lundstrom led all qualifiers (2:05.50) and will be chased by Goessling and Amanda Stadermann of Parkway North.

50 yard freestyle

Kate Gately of Parkway West won in 23.71. Villa’s sprinter Morgan Mullenix (University of Denver) looks for the upset victory.

Diving

This is decided starting at 9 a.m.

Freshman Kat Friese of MICDS is the favorite and her teammate Nealy Wallis qualified at 18th and Courtney Trowbridge at 34th. The Rams could get some bonus points in the one meter event.

100 yard butterfly

Lundstrom qualified first (55.33) and Bentley Boldt of Villa (Washington & Lee) was fourth and gunning for an upset victory.

100 yard freestyle

Gately was first (51.72), Lauren Shaw of Warrensburg qualified second and Mullenix (52.71) qualified third.

500 yard freestyle

This event looks good for Maddie Wall of Ladue, top qualifier at 5:00.0.

200 yard freestyle relay

Give the nod to Springfield Glendale, followed by Rock Bridge and St. Joseph’s Academy.

100 yard backstroke

Tatlow of Rock Bridge qualified first (56.82) and Shaw of Warrensburg second. Trey Ross of MICDS at fourth looks to spring an upset.

100 yard breast stroke

Ally Neumann of Parkway Central was first to the finish line, followed by Goessling and Monica Hernandez of Raytown.

400 yard freestyle relay

Springfield Glendale should win this event worth 40 points behind senior star Gretchen Stein. Rock Bridge and MICDS will battle for the next spot.

Final Prediction: 1. Rock Bridge 2. Springfield Glendale. 3. MICDS. 4. Parkway North.