816 North: Missouri girls swimming state recap

Park Hill South High School sophomore Tori Beeler celebrated one of the best days of her swimming career last Saturday when she reached the medal podium four times at the Missouri girls state championships in St. Peters. Mo.

That included a gold medal in the 200-yard individual medley.

Beeler highlighted an otherwise relatively quiet day for area swimmers, with only two Kansas City area teams placing in the top-10 in the team standings. Park Hill South placed third, and Blue Springs was eighth.

Nevertheless, a group of area swimmers returned to Kansas City with medals, which are awarded to the top eight places in each event.

Kearney junior Madison Strathman placed second in the 100-yard breast stroke. She also placed fifth in the 200 individual medley, five spots better than her 2013 result.

St. Pius X senior Suzanne DeFabio took eighth in the 100 backstroke for the second straight season after grabbing the final qualifying spot for the championship event.

The 100 breast stroke provided Kansas City swimmers with four medals. Blue Springs senior Corinne Rinne won the event, followed by Strathman in second, Park Hill South sophomore Anna Riekhof third and Park Hill South freshman Allison Garrett eighth. Garrett also placed seventh in the 100 freestyle.

Park Hill South also won the 200 medley and placed in two other relays, fifth in the 400 freestyle and seventh in the 200 freestyle.

Springfield Glendale won the team championship, and Marquette of Ballwin in the St. Louis area was second.

This story was originally published February 25, 2014 at 7:05 PM with the headline "816 North: Missouri girls swimming state recap."