Twice is nice: Cape Central boys swimming coasts to second straight state championship

Cape Central's Jacob Bening celebrates after winning the 100-yard freestyle during the Class 1 state championships on Friday, November 3, 2017 at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters, Mo. 

Paul Kopsky, STLhighschoolsports.com

ST. PETERS, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau Central Tigers entered the Class 1 Boys Swimming and Diving Championships with a different kind of feeling than they ever had before.

The feeling of being the hunted rather than the hunter.

"There's definitely a completely different approach to everything," senior standout Brogan Davis said. "Last year, we were kind of shooting the target of other teams. This year, we've been the one with the targets on our back."

Cape Central's Brogan Davis (right) hugs head coach Dayna Powell after winning the 100-yard butterfly during the Class 1 state championships on Friday, November 3, 2017 at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters, Mo.

Paul Kopsky, STLhighschoolsports.com

The Tigers were able to brush that target off and capture their second straight team championship Friday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.

"We had so much fun that we wanted to do it again. And then everything changed and we didn't know how it was all gonna work," Central coach Dayna Powell said. "But, it's been so exciting."

What Powell meant by everything changing was the switch from one classification to two for swimming and diving. The Tigers won the 2016 title competing against all schools, big and small. This time around, they got to pick on teams their own size.

"It was fun for us to win the last all-together meet and then win the inaugural one in Class 1," Powell said.

Central amassed 301.5 points to top Kearney (250) and Glendale (208).

"Hat's off to Kearney because, if they hadn't been here, I don't think we would have been as motivated," Powell said. "We had some great races back and forth with them. That was great to have them here."

The Tigers won four individual championships -- two each by Davis and sophomore Jacob Bening -- and also won two relay championships; Central set state records in all six events.

Davis was again recognized as meet MVP, repeating his titles in both the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly, while Bening won titles in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke.

Davis swam a 1:49.01 in the 200 IM to win it by more than six-and-a-half seconds after a close win a year ago.

“Last year, I had a race,” he said. “This year was a lot different. I feel like I could have gone faster if there was a race because I love to race.”

Davis was also dominant in the 100 fly, winning that event by nearly four seconds.

Bening was third in the 100 free and seventh in the back last year before ascending to the top this time around.

"It was early-morning practices and hard training in the gym. It just paid off," Bening said. "My plan was to go out a little faster than normal and then see if I could hold on to it. And I did."

Daniel Seabaugh nabbed a third-place finish in the 200 freestyle for the Tigers, while Hyrum Dickson closed out his career with a third-place swim in the 50 free.

The Central 200 yard medley and 400-yard free relay teams also brought home the gold, repeating in both events. Sam Hahs and Truman Vines swam both relays, while Bening and Davis helped in the medley relay. Seabaugh and Dickson were the other swimmers in the title-winning free relay team.

The Tigers’ 200 free relay was runner-up.

Notre Dame finished 15th in the 200-medley relay, touching the wall with a time of 1:36.12. That Bulldogs squad featured Nicholas Hux, Cody Bunger, Stephen Gullette and Drew Beussink.

Jackson diver Thatcher Wilson finished 16th in the diving competition with a score of 273.10

Cape Central's Sam Hahs competes in the 100-yard breaststroke during the Class 1 state championships on Friday, November 3, 2017 at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters, Mo. 

Paul Kopsky, STLhighschoolsports.com

Powell, who was named the Missouri Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Class 1 Coach of the Year, will now have to say goodbye to the transformative group of eight seniors that include Davis, an Auburn commit who was named the MISCA Class 1 Swimmer of the Year, and Hahs, who had a close second-place finish Friday in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Hahs also finished tied for third with a 1:56.96 in the 200 IM, matching Oak Park's Robbie Hill.

"Four years ago, when they were freshmen, we had some goal meetings," Powell said. "I told that group that year they changed the whole trajectory of the team."

Added Davis, "Last year, we only had one senior competing at state, but this year was a whole team effort, kind of a doing-it-for-the-seniors thing, so that was really cool to see our team come together for a common goal."

Now, the reins will be handed over to a strong crop of underclassmen that already have tons of winning experience under the belts.

"What's been great is they've had a couple years with Brogan and Sam and that whole senior group to kind of see how we do things and the expectations," Powell said. "I feel like we're in good hands, for sure."

Team Scores -- 1. Cape Central 301.5; 2. Kearney 250; 3. Glendale (Springfield) 208; 4. Ladue Horton Watkins 145; 5. Parkway West 128; 6. Park Hill South 119; 7. Logan-Rogersville 108; 8. Raytown 84; 9. (tie) Clayton, Mary Institute & St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS) 80; 11. Clayton 71; 12. Monett 69; 13. Platte County 61; 14. Parkway Central 60.5; 15. Muriel W. Battle 47; 16. (tie) Ozark, Staley 43; 18. Webb City 41; 19. Chaminade College Preparatory 39; 20. Fort Zumwalt South 36; 21. Nevada 31; 22. Warrensburg 32; 23. Oak Park 31.5; 24. Lutheran (St. Charles) 28; 25. Liberty (Wentzville) 25; 26. Webster Groves 24.5; 27. McCluer 23; 28. North Kansas City 20; 29. Fort Zumwalt East 19.5; 30. St. Francis Borgia 14; 31. Central (Springfield) 13; 32. William Chrisman 9; 33. John Burroughs School 6; 34. (tie) Notre Dame, Winnetonka 4; 36. (tie) Oakville, Smithville 3; 38. Hazelwood East 2; 39. Smith-Cotton 1.5; 40. Jackson 1

Local results

200 medley relay -- 1. Cape Central (Jacob Bening, Sam Hahs, Brogan Davis, Truman Vines) 1:33.67

200 freestyle -- 3. Daniel Seabaugh (CC) 1:42.42; 8. Truman Vines (CC) 1:51.63

200 individual medley -- 1. Brogan Davis (CC) 1:49.01; 3. (tie) Sam Hahs (CC), Robbie Hill (OP) 1:56.96

50 freestyle -- 3. Hyrum Dickson (CC) 21.52

Diving -- 16. Thatcher Wilson (J) 273.10

100 butterfly -- 1. Brogan Davis (CC) 48.81; 4. Truman Vines (CC) 53.77

100 freestyle -- 1. Jacob Bening (CC) 46.29

500 freestyle -- 2. Daniel Seabaugh (CC) 4:35.11

200 freestyle relay -- 2. Cape Central (Hyrum Dickson, Truman Vines, Daniel Seabaugh, Sam Hahs) 1:27.30; 15. Notre Dame (Nicholas Hux, Cody Bunger, Stephen Gullette, Drew Beussink) 1:36.12

100 backstroke -- 1. Jacob Bening (CC) 51.52

100 breaststroke -- 2. Sam Hahs (CC) 57.39

400 freestyle relay -- 1. Cape Central (Brogan Davis, Daniel Seabaugh, Hyrum Dickson, Jacob Bening) 3:07.71