CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Raegan McAtee qualified for the MSHSAA swimming state championships in an individual event for a third straight year and helped Poplar Bluff's medley relay earn a spot Saturday at the City of Roses Invitational.
Taylor Norwood qualified for state in her fourth individual event and lowered her time in another, finishing second in the 500-yard freestyle, as the Mules placed 10th as a team.
McAtee, Norwood, Audrey Cisne and Paige Bradley were seventh in the medley relay, qualifying for state in 1 minute, 56.74 seconds. The four also missed a state-qualifying time by 0.31 of a second in the 200-freestyle relay, finishing sixth in 1:46.3.
"Got some qualifying marks we were hoping for," Mules coach Beth Lewis-Muse said. "Missed the 200 free relay, would like to have gotten the automatic (cut) in that."
The Mules could still compete at state in the event if they end the season with one of the top 32 times in the state. Poplar Bluff currently ranks 21st in Class 2 with three weeks left in the season.
The Mules, who host their final home meet Tuesday, finished 14.5 points behind host Cape Central, who was ninth.
Norwood qualified in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:57.92 as the senior placed fourth in a race that featured two swimmers breaking the meet record. Norwood cut 11.77 seconds off her 500 freestyle time, placing second behind Hickman's Lena Coon by 2.44 seconds at 5:14.71.
McAtee qualified for state in the butterfly, finishing sixth in 1:01.51. The junior lowered her time by 1.11 seconds and finished 0.84 of a second behind winner Lauren Naeger of Battle, who placed sixth at state last year.
McAtee missed a state cut in the 50 freestyle by 0.27 of a second, finishing eighth in 25.76. The junior, who broke 26 seconds for the first time this season, has started to recover from an illness earlier this month, Lewis-Muse said.
"She's been out for a while," Lewis-Muse added. "Really curious how she would bounce back."
Paige Bradley took seventh in the dive Friday and placed 22nd in the 100 freestyle, breaking a minute for the first time this season at 59.51. The sophomore scored 294.4 in the dive.
Cisne placed 38th in the backstroke at 1:11.9 and 57th in the 50 at 28.92.
Carly Wiseman cut 15.28 seconds in the 500 for 40th and was 0.15 of a second faster in the 200 freestyle for 45th. Mackenzie Garrett cut 1.34 seconds off her 100 freestyle for 53rd and was 0.22 of a second faster in the backstroke for 60th. Calli Barker was 0.73 of a second faster in the 100 freestyle for 76th and was 88th in the 50, cutting 0.16 of a second. Jessica Rush placed 66th in the 200 freestyle and 80th in the 100 freestyle.
Wiseman, Barker, Garrett and Rush placed 14th in the 400-freestyle relay at 4:28.62.