Chris Allen/Democrat-News Marshall's Nic Ess finished in the top 20 in the two breaststroke races at a large Columbia meet. [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

COLUMBIA -- Two members of the Salt Fork YMCA Swim Club won blue ribbons last weekend during the Columbia Swim Club Invitational in the Mizzou Aquatic Center.

Christian Farris won the 10-and-under 50-meter freestyle (33.32 seconds) and breaststroke (46.34) and Tyler Nichols was best in the 13- and 14-year-old age group in the 100-meter breast (1:16.99).

Farris also had a third place and two fourth-place showings in fields which ranged between 26 and 40 entries. A week earlier, he had won the 50 free during the Dad's Day Dunk Meet at the Clay-Platte Rec-Plex.

Nichols was also second in the 200 breast (2:52.12), third in the 100 free (59.30) and placed between fourth and ninth in his five remaining contests -- most of which had over 30 swimmers involved. Nichols had taken titles in five events during the previous metro-area meet.

The Manta Rays had two other 10-and-under entries. Nic Ess finished as high as 13th place in the 50 breast and Trey Brown -- at 6 years old, among the youngest in the field -- was 25th in the 100 breast.

Khris Ward's best showing was 29th out of 57 swimmers in the Open 100 breast, an event in which Owls teammate Mason Weber was third while competing for the Tsunami Swim Team of Kansas City.

Weber, a three-time all-state performer for Marshall High, is ranked ninth in Zone 5 by the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association in the 100 breast and fifth in the 200 individual medley -- in which placed second at the Columbia meet. He is currently in position for a possible all-America designation in both of those events when the NISCA makes the announcement next month.

However, the future of Weber, Ward and other members of the Owls team -- both boys and girls -- is in doubt after the Marshall School Board voted to drop the three-year-old program Tuesday. Parents of current and potential future Marshall swimmers are asking the Board to reconsider the action, a discussion of which was not on the public agenda posted prior to the meeting.

The Manta Rays had six girls in the 10-and-under class at Columbia, with Lauren Nichols leading the way with two eight-place finishes -- in fields of 35 swimmers in the 100 breast and 50 opponents in the 50 breast -- and two more top-10 showings.

Kadie Williams was 11th in the 50 breast and 13th in the 100 breast. Olivia Quint, 9, was 13th in the 100 butterfly and 22nd in three other races. Eight-year-old Allison Weber did her best in the 100 backstroke, coming in 21st out of 46. Cassie Farris, 9, was 24th in the 100 breast, and 7-year-old Audrey Quint did as well as 41st in the 50 breast.

Allee Barton had three top-20 finishes among 13-14 girls, the highest being 13th out of 44 races in the 100 breast.

Only three Marshall swimmers attended Wednesday's Mid-Missouri Conference meet at Eldon, but a larger contingent is expected to be on hand Friday during a six-team get-together at Sedalia.