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Three years was not all that long ago. For the Kearney girls swim program, it seems like an eternity.

Amparano, relay make state finals

ST. PETERS — At the end of a long preliminary day at the 2010 MSHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving Championships, Kearney’s 400-yard freestyle relay team sent a jolt through the Rec-Plex.

There was screaming. There was jumping in the water. There was pure joy.

ST. PETERS - There was quite a bit of excitement for Kearney's swimming and diving team in the final event of the MSHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships preliminaries.

The Bulldogs were jumping for joy and diving back into the water after they learned they had qualified for the 400-yard freestyle relay consolation finals at the Rec-Plex on Friday, Feb. 19.

Another clan of Bulldogs and their fans will pack their bags for what has become an annual trip to the St. Peters Rec-Plex.

For the third consecutive year, Kearney will be represented at the State Girls Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20, in St. Peters. That’s quite an accomplishment considering only once in the previous six seasons had the Bulldogs made an appearance at the season-ending event.

Three years ago, the Bulldogs brought one drought to an end.

Nothing could keep down the Bulldogs — not even a second-place finish at the Suburban Small Six Conference Championships.

Only one thought rests on the minds of the Bulldogs this week — adding to the banner in the rafters.

With only one outing remaining on the regular-season schedule, the Kearney High girls turn their attention to the most important swim meet of the year. If all goes as planned, the Bulldogs will tack on to their league banner hanging in the Kearney gym.

That will happen if the Bulldogs repeat as Suburban Small Six Conference champions this weekend in Independence. The conference prelims are set for 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, with the finals scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at Henley Aquatic Center.

State cuts have not been easy to come by this year.

Snow. Ice. Cancellations. It’s been one in the same for the Kearney High girls swim team this winter.

Just how far has the Kearney High girls swim program come? There’s no need to look any farther than the results from this past weekend at Park Hill Aquatic Center.

When school was canceled, the Bulldogs thought they had another day off.

It didn’t turn out that way. In fact, it’s safe to say they put in a little bit of overtime.