Kings Point makes it six in a row

The streak continues for the Kings Point Stingrays.

Saturday at O’Fallon, Kings Point won its sixth consecutive Midwest Swim Conference championship. The Stingrays had 1,867 1/2 points, well ahead of runner-up O’Fallon (1,686). Hilltoppers (1,473 1/2), St. Clair Country Club (1,413) and Highland (1,391) rounded out the top five.

“Our kids were phenomenal – 90 to 95 percent of them got (season) best times today, which is unheard of,” said Kings Point coach Steve “Scuba” Sloan. “We had numerous kids break school records and conference records.

“It was pretty much what I expected. Some of our age groups are stronger than others, but overall as a team, we did great.”

The Stingrays made a clean sweep of high point honors in the 13-14 boys age group. Austin Beccue took first place while teammates Jake Eversole and Patrick Hesse placed second and third, respectively.

“I don’t remember that happening for us in a long time,” Sloan said. “I thought we had a chance at it because our 13-14 age group is probably the best 13-14 age group that has ever come through this league. We have one swimmer (Beccue) that broke records in two of his events and our boys totally smashed the freestyle (relay) record by about seven seconds.”

Other high point trophy winners for Kings Point were CJ Junker (second, 9-10 boys); Colette Thro (second, 11-12 girls); Riley Garner (first, 11-12 boys); Gabby Thro (second, 13-14 girls); Lori Lynn (first, 15-18 girls); Maria Effinger (third, 15-18 girls) and Etienne Thro (first, 15-18 boys).

“Lori Lynn is a nationally ranked swimmer and I’m glad that she takes time out to swim for Kings Point,” Sloan said. “Etienne Thro got first place in his age group and it’s been a long time coming for him. He’s improved drastically over the past two years.”

“Everyone has improved and the younger kids have grown up and gotten a lot better,” Lynn said. “We all dropped times today like crazy and we pulled through and got first place again. It was pretty amazing.”

With her sister, Erica, completing her eligibility after last season, Lynn has emerged as a veteran leader for the team this year.

“I’m really happy – I got my best times today and set some records,” said Lynn, who also swims for the Edwardsville YMCA Breakers. “I help the little kids out sometimes and talk to them, so I guess I’m becoming a little more of a leader. It doesn’t seem like I should have two more years left, but I do.”

O’Fallon, which also placed second in 2009, had five high point winners: Nicholas Spihlman (third, 8-and-under boys); May Gibbs (first. 9-10 boys); Angela Newlon (first, 13-14 girls); Melissa Cooper (third, 13-14 girls) and Stephen Dean (second, 15-18 boys).

Newlon set a conference record in the 100-meter freestyle relay and the 13-14 girls 200-meter freestyle relay (Newlon, Melissa Cooper, DJ Laureta and Adina Williamson) also set a conference record.

Gibbs, who already held all of the team records in the 9-10 boys division, won all three individual events.

“I swam him up in the 11-12 (freestyle) relay because I knew he could really help us out,” Kurtz said. “We finished second, but in the anchor spot, he jumped into the pool in fourth place and passed by Kings Point and another team.

“He’s an amazing swimmer. He’s not built like a 10-year-old and he doesn’t look like a 10-year-old. He swims more like a 12- or 13-year-old.”

St. Clair, meanwhile, had two first-place finishers in the high-point standings – Sophia Burwitz in 8-and-under girls and Sally O’Malley in 11-2 girls. Teammate Caroline Cunningham finished third in 8-and-under girls.

Placing sixth through ninth in the team standings were Freeburg (1,229), Scott Sharks (731), Dorchester (555) and Westhaven (466). Freeburg’s Grace Bauer placed first in the 9-10 girls age group while another Freeburg swimmer, Elias Czech, finished third in 11-12 boys.

High point trophy winners for Scott Sharks were Brittany Phelps (third, 11-12 girls) and Michael Slaughter (third, 15-18 boys).

Despite Kings Point’s dominance, Sloan feels the conference has become more competitive.

“The sport of swimming is growing here, which is great, and a lot of kids are getting into year-round programs,” Sloan said. “It’s helping out my team and it’s helping out everyone in the conference. It’s probably the most competitive conference in the area.

“I’m looking out at all these other teams and it’s really an even playing field right now. So many teams are close together and just a minimal amount of points away from each other. That makes it a lot more fun.”

Kurtz, though, feels other teams have a ways to go before catching up to Kings Point.

“I wouldn’t call it an even playing field because (Sloan) still has a large number of year-round swimmers and that talent shows in all of the high-point trophies they get,” said Kurtz, who is the head swimming coach at O’Fallon High School. “But we’re closing on them and every year we get a little closer. Hopefully in a couple years we’ll get them.”