KHS Girls Soar at State Swim

The Kearney High School Girls Swim & Dive team delivered an impressive performance at the 2026 MSHSAA State Championship Meet held in St. Louis, marking a significant achievement for Kearney School District. The Bulldogs finished their season with a strong showing against top contenders from across Missouri, securing 21st place out of 58 teams—their best state finish in five years.

Kaylie Gerber

Standout swimmer Kaylie Gerber captured Kearney’s lone state medal, earning seventh place in the 50 freestyle. Gerber entered the meet as the No. 7 seed, set a personal record in preliminaries to move up to the No. 5 seed, and capped off her run with another strong swim in finals to claim the medal. She also demonstrated remarkable resilience in the 100 butterfly, overcoming a last-minute goggle issue before her preliminary race. Gerber regrouped, advanced to the second day, and broke the one-minute mark for the first time, finishing ninth in the state with a time of 59.86.

This year’s state roster featured a young squad, mostly underclassmen, who rose to the challenge. The Bulldogs qualified at least one swimmer in nine of eleven events, advanced two relays to finals for the first time since 2019, and saw an individual swimmer qualify for day-two finals for the first time since 2021.

Additional highlights from the meet included a 16th-place finish in the 200 Medley Relay and a 14th-place finish in the 400 Freestyle Relay after qualifying for finals and dropping more time on the second day. The team also celebrated several personal records and strong individual finishes from its talented, emerging group.

Coach Trevor Woehrman, his staff, and all the student-athletes are being congratulated for an outstanding season. The district expressed pride in the growth, grit, and determination shown by the team throughout the year.

KPGZ News – Ray Weikal contributed to this story.

Swim Team Secures Third Consecutive Conference Championship

The Kearney Bulldogs girls swim team made a splash this past weekend, capturing their third straight conference championship to close out the regular season. The Bulldogs showcased their talent and determination from the very first race on Friday night through the final events on Saturday afternoon, ultimately winning 9 out of 11 events and clinching the conference title by an outstanding 230-point margin.

Head Coach Trevor Woehrman expressed immense pride in his team’s performance, noting, “The team did not shy away from the moment.” The Bulldogs demonstrated remarkable poise and confidence, rising to the occasion in every event and backing it up with impressive results in the pool.

The secret to this remarkable run lies in the steady growth and development fostered within the team. Coach Woehrman and his staff praised the swimmers not only for their athletic achievements but also for their progress “both in and out of the pool.” Throughout the championship weekend, the Bulldogs posted numerous personal and season bests and delivered clutch performances when it mattered most, underscoring the program’s commitment to excellence and teamwork.

Highlights from a dominant championship weekend include:

• 200 Medley Relay: Emma Cox, Izzy Fowler, Kaylie Gerber, Olivia Burgard - CHAMPIONS

• 200 Freestyle: Jillian Schauwecker - CHAMPION (plus a new PR and her first state consideration cut), with strong finishes and PRs from Jaycie Davis, Emelyn Kane and Grace Thurston

• 200 IM: Kaylie Gerber - CHAMPION, Izzy Fowler (2nd and state consideration cut), Eden Roling (3rd), and Halle Wright (5th) all dropping time

• 500 Freestyle: Eden Roling - CHAMPION (10-second PR and first state consideration cut), with big drops from Jillian Schauwecker and Emelyn Kane

• 200 Freestyle Relay: Halle Wright, Eva Cox, Eden Roling, Olivia Burgard - CHAMPIONS

• 100 Backstroke: Emma Cox - CHAMPION, Avreigh James (3rd place finish and a new PR), Dani Elliott (6th place finish and a new PR), Ella Reese (new PR)

• 100 Breaststroke: Izzy Fowler - CHAMPION, Maggie Rinehart (4th place finish and a new PR), Anne Saegesser (6th place finish and a new PR), Grace Thurston (new PR)

• 400 Freestyle Relay: Kaylie Gerber, Eva Cox, Emma Cox, Izzy Fowler - CHAMPIONS

• 100 Butterfly - Kaylie Gerber - CHAMPION; Eva Cox had 2nd place finish and a season best; Halle Wright finished in 4th place finish and earned a new PR

• 50 Freestyle: Eva Cox (2nd place finish and a new PR), Olivia Burgard (3rd place finish and a new PR), Emery Wells (5th place finish and a new PR), Dani Elliott (new PR)

• 100 Freestyle: Emma Cox (2nd place finish and a new PR), Emery Wells (3rd place finish and a new PR), Avreigh James (4th place finish and a new PR), Maggie Rinehart (6th place finish and a new PR)

The team’s outstanding performances continue to fuel their drive for success. As Coach Woehrman explained, the girls will soon compete in a “Last Chance” meet—an important opportunity for the state roster to sharpen their times and rankings before heading into the State Championships. With their momentum building, anticipation is high for what these athletes will accomplish at the season’s biggest stage.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Bulldog Boys Take Conference Swim and Dive

The Kearney High School Boys Swim & Dive Team earned its 10th-consecutive conference championship on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Gladstone Community Center.

The Bulldogs won the 2024 conference title by 250 points and won every single event.

“All season long the boys have been focused on closing out and finishing this decade of dominance,” Head Coach Trevor Woehman said. “My staff and I are incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication these boys have given to this team and this program.”

The postseason includes Districts for diving on Saturday, Nov. 9, and the Class 1 State Meet on Nov. 15-16 in St. Louis.

200 Medley Relay – Conference Champs

• Whitaker Steward

• Bennett Freeman

• Parker Bartlett

• Parker Mendel

200 Freestyle

• Parker Bartlett – Conference champ & PR

• Parker Mendel – 2nd-place finish & PR

• Patrick McNellis – 4th-place finish & PR

200 IM

• Whitaker Steward – Conference champ & season best

50 Freestyle

• Bennett Freeman – Conference champ & PR

• Chase Hoover – 2nd-place finish & PR

• Jake Zwick – PR

• Brayden Peck – PR

Diving

• Isaac Clayton – Conference champ

• Nathan Watson – 2nd-place finish

100 Butterfly

• Whitaker Steward – Conference champ & season best

• Braeden Mallonnee – 2nd-place finish & PR

• Landon Morrill – 4th place finish and a new PR

100 Freestyle

• Parker Mendel – Conference champ & PR

• Brayden Peck – 5th-place finish & PR

• Jake Zwick – PR

• Peter Jensen – PR

500 Freestyle

• Parker Bartlett – Conference champ

200 Freestyle Relay – Conference champs & season best

• Braeden Mallonnee

• Bennett Freeman

• Landon Morrill

• Chase Hoover

100 Backstroke

• Braeden Mallonnee – Conference champ & PR

• Chase Hoover – 5th-place finish & PR

• Patrick McNellis – 6th-place & PR

100 Breaststroke

• Bennett Freeman – Conference champ & PR

• Landon Morrill – 3rd-place finish & PR

• Peter Jensen – 5th-place finish & PR

400 Freestyle Relay -Conference Champs

• Parker Mendel

• Parker Bartlett

• Braeden Mallonnee

• Whitaker Steward

Ray Weikal contributed to this story.