Platte County didn’t add any qualifiers for the Missouri State Swimming and Diving Championships but did have some impressive results Friday, Oct. 2 in the Eubank Invitational in Independence, Mo.
In a four-team field, the Pirates scored 408 points and were second to Liberty North’s 496 in the Blue Division of the meet. John Cogdill won the 200-yard individual medley, and Nick Kunels edged the field in the 50 freestyle for Platte County’s two individual titles.
Platte County didn’t benefit from its diving program with the event not held. Justin Richardson made the state cut in 1-meter diving earlier this season and remains the only state qualifier.
Cogdill finished the IM in 2:10.37 but remains a little more than 4 seconds off the state time of 2:06.09. However, he came in second in the 100 breaststroke at 1:04.95 —missing the state mark by less than second. Kunels came in at 23.44 in the 50 to beat Liberty North’s Ben Mattes by just more than a quarter of a second.
Kunels’ time was a little less than a half second off the state qualifying mark of 22.99.
Cogdill, Kunels, Bailey Shepardson and Josh Richardson made up the second-place 200 medley relay for Platte County. The quartet came in at 1:46.95, less than a second away from the state mark. The Pirates’ last swimmer to compete at state was Drew Cordova in 2009.
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, Platte County swept four duals with North Kansas City School District foes. Caden Delay and Kunels were the only individual winners for the Pirates.
In the 200 individual medley, Delay won by just more than a second in a time of 2:15.43. Kunels took the 100 freestyle win in 52.81, topping Staley’s Charlie Duffy by 0.19 of a second. Platte County did not record any state qualifying times.