Nick Alexander Excels in Historic Missouri High School State Meet

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An era has ended in Missouri.

For the first time since 2004, Rockhurst High School did not win the state championship in swimming. The Hawklets failed to place in the top four teams at the meet and had no individual or relay champions.

The new champions were the Rock Bridge Bruins from Columbia, Missouri. The Bruins tallied up 239.5 points, easily defeating crosstown rival Hickman, who finished in second place with 138.5 points. Cape Central finished third while Park Hill picked up a fourth place plaque.

The meet started off in historic fashion, as records fell in the first three events.

Cape Central took the 200-medley relay crown with a time of 1:35.13, just six-hundredths of a second faster than Rockhurst’s 2014 record-setting relay. The team consisted of Reagan Ragsdale, Sam Hahs, Brogan Davis and John Young. Cape Central finished nearly two seconds ahead of second place Rock Bridge.

Minutes after the Cape Central swimmers were handed their medals, Lee’s Summit North sophomore Liam Bresette crushed the 200-yard freestyle state record. Bresette went a time of 1:38.15, over a second faster than defending champion Samuel Senn’s second place time. The state record was previously set in 2010 by Ricky Maestri, who went a 1:38.86.

University of Missouri commit Nick Alexander defended his state title in the 200-yard individual medley. The senior broke his own state record, finishing the race with a time of 1:47.55.

In the 50-yard freestyle Marcin Glebocki of Park Hill defended his 2014 state title, out touching Rockwood Summit’s Max Stapleton by only two-hundredths of a second. Glebocki finished the race with a time of 21.23. Oddly enough, the fastest 50 time of the meet came in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Senn led off Kickapoo’s relay with a blazing 20.54, nearly setting a state record.

Lafayette’s Matt McCool defended his state title in diving. He scored 516.35, under four points ahead of second place David Knopke of Rockhurst.

After finishing second in the 200-yard individual medley, Webb City’s Jacob Schultz earned a state title in the 100-yard butterfly. The senior went a time of 49.54, beating out Davis by only a tenth of a second.

Senn would not be denied a state title in the 100-yard freestyle. The Missouri State commit won the race by over a second, finishing with a time of 45.41. Hannibal’s Lliot Gieseke touched in second.

Bresette captured his second victory of the day in the 500-yard freestyle. Bresette touched in at 4:29.90. With two years of high school swimming ahead of him, the sophomore will have a shot to eventually best the state record of 4:27.89.

Led by Glebocki, Park Hill took the 200-yard freestyle relay title. The team consisted of Jered Weger, Sean Cogley, Danny Jones and was anchored by Glebocki, who passed John Ragsdell of Hickman in the final 50. This is the second straight year that Park Hill won the relay.

Alexander set his second record of the day in the 100-yard backstroke. The senior won the event with a time of 48.99. TJ Halliburton of Chaminade finished second to Alexander for the second straight year, touching in at 50.70.

Elliott Eisele-Miller of Oak Park brought home a first place medal in the 100-yard breaststroke. The senior dropped 2.5 seconds from his entry time, going a 56.87 to win the closest event of the day. Sam Drew of Lee’s Summit finished second by only one hundredth of a second.

Despite their team title, Rock Bridge did not win a race until the last event of the day: the 400-yard freestyle relay. The Bruin team consisted of California Polytechnic commit Alex Tschopp, Dane Florea, Ryan Gilbert and Zach Lorson. Eureka finished in second place.

With four new state records, this weekend’s meet may have been the fastest in Missouri history.

Looking ahead, only two of Rock Bridge’s scoring swimmers are leaving. Tschopp and Jonathan Thomas, a member of the Bruins’ 200-yard freestyle relay, will graduate, but the majority of Rock Bridge’s state team will return.

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HamZàà Nêûf Cînq

8 years ago

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