By Chris Parker
There are many talented swimmers across our coverage area. Below are some of the swimmers to watch this season.
NOTE: The athletes are listed in alphabetical order.
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Micah Brouwer, Webb City Junior
Brouwer was a state qualifier in the 200-yard IM and the 100-yard breaststroke last year individually while he also swam legs on the 200-yard medley relay. This year, Brouwer’s big focus is to score points at state with a focus on the 200-yard IM and the 100-yard breaststroke.
Kai Brownlee, Nixa Senior
Brownlee showed his versatility last year qualifying for state in two individual events and two relays. He finished 13th overall in the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 54.78. He also qualified for state in the 200-yard freestyle and on Nixa’s 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays.
Elias Curtis, West Plains Junior
Curtis brings versatility to the pool for West Plains. He individually qualified in the 200-yard IM and 100-yard butterfly last year while swimming legs on the state qualifying 200 and 400-yard freestyle relays. He has shown great gains in both individual events along with the 100-yard backstroke.
Tyler Douglas, Glendale Senior
Douglas is a top breaststroke specialist for Glendale. He is an asset to the 200-yard medley relay where he swam a leg on Glendale’s state runner-up 200-yard medley relay last year. He also qualified individually in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley. His coach Steve Boyce said that Douglas also has potential in the 100-yard butterfly.
Graham Eisenmann, Ozark Senior
Eisemann is an incredibly versatile swimmer capable of competing at the state level in a wide range of events from the 200 freestyle to the 500 freestyle to the 200 IM and the 100 fly according to his coach Steve Boyce. Last year, Eisenmann finished eighth in Class 2 in the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 52.92. He was 13th in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:46.89. He also swam legs on the state qualifying 200 and 400-yard freestyle relays.
Matthew Fillinger, Monett Senior
Fillinger is one of the top swimmers in the Big 8. He already holds five Monett school records and could reset many of them again this year. His versatility showed at state last year with a 16th place finish in the 200-yard individual medley. He also qualified for state in the 100-yard freestyle and as a part of Monett’s 200 and 400-yard relays.
Andrew Johnson, Glendale Junior
Johnson found success as a part of a deep and talented Glendale swim team last year as a sophomore. He qualified for state individually in both the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyles. Johnson also has shown good work in the 100-yard butterfly according to his coach Steve Boyce. He will also be a key piece of the Glendale relays.
Carson Johnson, Glendale Senior
Johnson returns for his senior season with a wealth of experience at the state level. He was a part of Glendale’s record-setting state champion 200-yard freestyle relay and the state runner-up 400-yard freestyle relay. He also qualified individually in the 100-yard freestyle. This year, Johnson will be looking to compete in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle while serving as a mainstay on Glendale relays.
Isaac Kammerer, West Plains Senior
The longer distances are specialties for Kammerer. He finished ninth individually in the 500-yard freestyle at state last year while qualifying for state in the 200-yard freestyle. He also swam legs on the state qualifying 400-yard freestyle relay (14th) and 200-yard freestyle relay (16th). He will look compete for SWMO and Ozark Conference titles in both individual events along with all-state finishes.
Brady Lewis, Republic Junior
Lewis qualified for state in the 100-yard butterfly last year, and he is looking to build off that experience this year. The Republic junior will be a force in both the fly and the back according to coach Steve Boyce.
Avery Miller, West Plains Sophomore
Miller found immediate success at the varsity level last year by qualifying for state individually in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley. He also swam legs on 400-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley relay at state. Miller could swim a variety of events with a strong ability at the sprint freestyle events as well as his two state events from last year.
Bryce Ruder, Kickapoo Sophomore
Ruder’s strongest event last year was the 500-yard freestyle where he finished 11th at the Class 2 state meet with a time of 4:54.09. He found success at the shorter races too with a state qualification individually in the 200-yard freestyle and as a part of Kickapoo’s 400 and 200-yard freestyle relay teams.
Bret Smith, Kickapoo Senior
Smith returns as one of the top divers in the state coming off a fifth place finish in Class 2 last year with a final total of 414.60 points.
Jackson Witte, Kickapoo Junior
Witte is one of the area’s fastest returning swimmers as evidenced by his state qualification in the 50-yard freestyle as a sophomore. He also swam legs on Kickapoo’s state-qualifying 400 and 200-yard freestyle relays and the 200-yard medley relay.
Matthew Wall, Lebanon Junior
Wall made it through prelims in all four of his state events last year. The Lebanon junior finished fifth on the Yellowjackets’ 200-yard medley relay team and eight in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Individually he made the final of the 50-yard freestyle and finished 11th in the 100-yard freestyle. He will look to be one of the area’s top swimmers in the 500 and 100-yard freestyle.
Dakota Windsor, Lebanon Senior
Windsor is the area’s only returning swimmer who was all-state in four events last year. Windsor finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly and sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke individually while he saw legs on Lebanon’s fifth-place 200-yard medley relay and eighth place 200-yard freestyle relay. He will be looking to repeat as the SWMO and three-peat as the Ozark Conference champion in the 200 IM.
