Meg Heveroh (12) has been swimming most of her life. And her family has been there every stroke of the way.

Her dad and brother were All-American swimmers in college. Her mom and grandmother swam as well. It should be no surprise then that her immediate and extended family have been her biggest supporters. 

With no spectators allowed at swim meets because of COVID protocols, Heveroh’s family could only watch her final season of high school swimming through live streaming. They were all watching on Feb. 19 when Heveroh swam in two events at the Class 2 State Swimming Championships at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters.

“All my cousins, aunts and uncles watched the live stream and cheered me on,” Heveroh said.

They must have been pleased with what they saw. Heveroh placed second in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5 minutes, 8.71seconds, and seventh in the 50 free (24.07). Both times were personal bests as well as new school records. “I am really happy with how I placed,” Heveroh said. “It was a great way to end my senior year.” 

Heveroh ended her high school career with seven school records. She is also one of the few swimmers in school history to earn multiple medals at the state meet. 

After setting three school records and qualifying for state as a freshman, Heveroh broke her foot in the middle of January during her sophomore year and missed the rest of the season. She decided to sit out her junior year before returning to the program as a senior.

One of her teammates, Mason Meinershagen (10), joined Heveroh at the state meet. Meinsershagen, a two-time state qualifier, placed 11th in the diving competition. As a freshman, she finished fifth.

 “It was pretty awesome being able to go to state for the second year in a row,” Meinershagen said. “The meet is very exciting and definitely memorable each time.” 

In addition to being the team’s top diver, Meinershagen was able to compete in the relays with her teammates during the season because of the small size of the team. She is very proud of the way she and Heveroh placed at state and wishes Heveroh (who plans to swim in college at Truman State) the best in the years to come. 

“I love being able to swim with Meg,” Meinsershagen said. “She is an amazing swimmer. I couldn’t ask for a more cheerful and supportive teammate.”