Park Hill South recorded a trio of 1-2 finishes, and the Panthers nearly swept the relays on the way to a team championship Saturday, Jan. 9 in the Northland Invitational at the Gladstone Community Center in Gladstone, Mo.
In a top area meet featuring 21 teams, Park Hill South won five events total and scored 380 points to easily outdistance second-place Hickman (264). Park Hill won two events, including the 400-meter freestyle relay, to end up third with 204 points while recording seven state cuts for the Missouri State Swimming and Diving Championships.
Park Hill South’s Tori Beeler, the 2015 co-Missouri swimmer of the year, factored into three of the Panthers’ wins. She won the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley in addition to swimming a leg on the victorious 200 medley relay, along with Anna Riekhof, Maggie Hickey and Georgia Clark.
In both of her individual wins, Beeler beat Clark for the top spot and bettered her 100 backstroke state cut to 57.36 seconds — currently the top seed time. Clark came in just under 2 seconds behind and currently owns the second best state qualifying time, set earlier in the season.
All three of Park Hill South’s relays have the top cut time in the state, including a new mark 1:49.72 in the medley relay posted in Saturday’s win.
Park Hill South’s 200 freestyle relay team of Ava Kinsland, Maggie Hickey, Allison Garrett and Paige Riekhof also won, posting a 1:42.77. Paige Riekhof added runner-up showings in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly, coming in just in front of Hickey (fourth).
Anna Riekhof claimed the final Northland title, beating second-place Garrett to the line in the 100 breaststroke.
Park Hill’s team of Rebecca Shaw, Brooklynn Pierce, Meg Feeley and Nani Welsh ended up second behind Park Hill South in the 200 freestyle relay by about a half second, but Sophia Lane, Shaw, Feeley and Welsh won the 400 freestyle relay. The Trojans set state marks in both events.
Park Hill South beat Park Hill to the line in the 400 relay by about 8 seconds but were disqualified. Park Hill also missed out on more points when the team of Nerissa Wagner, Lane, Kyleigh Conkling and Pierce disqualified in the 200 medley relay.
Welsh posted Park Hill’s individual win with a 25.05 in the 50 freestyle with Shaw fourth in that event. Welsh also came in as runner-up in the 100 freestyle, just in front of third-place Garrett and 100 butterfly, just in front of fourth-place Hickey.
In the 50 and 100 freestyle, Welsh and Shaw both posted state cuts. Shaw, who made her first two individual times, finished sixth in the 100 freestyle.
Platte County ended up 17th in the final team standings with 58 points. Hannah Havemeier (sixth) and Rachel Valentine (ninth) posted the top finishes for the Pirates during the 100 breaststroke.
Platte County 82, St. Pius X 21, Marshall 20
The Pirates won seven of 12 events in a triangular Wednesday, Jan. 6 at Platte County Community Center North in Platte City, including an unopposed swim for Ashley Burns, Maren Johnston, Maddie Sill and Geneva Chance in the 400 freestyle relay.
Platte County also had the only divers in the field with Skylear Perkins winning with a 173.13 score. Valentine, Hailee Baer and Havemeier each picked up multiple event wins, swimming on both the Pirates’ 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays. Hannah Havemeier also won the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle, while Baer topped a small 200 individual medley field.
Bailey Newell (200 medley) and Olivia Forrester (200 freestyle) rounded out the other two victorious relays for Platte County.
Park Hill 98, Lee’s Summit 77
Shaw, Lane, Welsh and Feeley combined to win six events for the Trojans, and Wagner added a victory in the 100 backstroke during a dual Tuesday, Jan. 5 at Park Hill District Aquatic Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Park Hill’s top quartet made up both the victorious 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams. Shaw and Welsh finished with four victories apiece. Shaw won the 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke, while Welsh won the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle, which included only herself and Lane as entrants.
Wagner finished the 100 backstroke in 1:11.02, beating teammate Jenee Hensely to the line by just more than half a second.