Republic’s girls swim team broke five school records and put four entries into Saturday’s finals at the MSHSAA Class 2 State Swimming and Diving Championships in St. Peters — the most day-two events in program history.
Freshman Ava Brown broke two individual records. She set new marks in the 100-yard freestyle (56.17) and the 200-yard freestyle (2:01.77), both in Saturday’s consolation finals. Her 100 free record fell twice — first in Friday’s prelims at 56.23, then again Saturday at 56.17, breaking the mark of 56.63 she had shared with Karissa Metzger. Her 200 free time of 2:01.77 topped Metzger’s 2:01.87 from 2021-22.
Freshman Zaylie Pinnell lowered her own 50-yard freestyle school record to 25.65 in Friday’s prelims, shaving one-hundredth of a second off the mark she set earlier this season. Sophomore Elise Replogle also improved her own school record in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing in 1:02.52 in prelims, down from the 1:02.79 she posted earlier this year.
The 200-yard freestyle relay also set the school record twice. The team finished 12th in Friday’s prelims at 1:44.79, then moved up to 10th in Saturday’s finals at 1:44.15, well under the previous mark of 1:46.59.
Replogle finished ninth in the 100-yard breaststroke in Friday’s prelims with a time of 1:09.45, one spot outside the championship final. It was the closest a Republic swimmer has come to reaching the A final since Metzger finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke in 2022. Replogle placed ninth again in Saturday’s B final at 1:09.64.
Brown swam in two individual finals Saturday, finishing 13th in the 200 free and 14th in the 100 free. She dropped time in both events from prelims to finals.
Pinnell finished 18th in the 50 free, just outside the top-16 cutline for day two. She also placed 31st in the 100 free. Replogle’s 19th-place finish in the 100 fly did not advance.
Republic’s 200-yard medley relay was disqualified in Friday’s prelims, and the 400-yard freestyle relay finished 20th in 3:54.39.
Republic finished 21st in team scoring with 29 points out of 32 teams. Park Hill South won the Class 2 title with 331.
Eight swimmers represented Republic at the meet: Amelia Beaver, Alice Booher, Brown, Sara Chism, Pinnell, Mei Pruett, Annalice Renegar, and Replogle — the largest state contingent in program history.
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