Platte County had little troubles locking up the championship at its home meet on Saturday, Dec. 15.

The Pirates had 486 points and easily outdistanced second-place Ray-Pec, which had 357.

Platte County won five events and had top-three finishes in nine of the 12 events. In event No. 1, the 200-yard medley relay, Platte County by nearly nine seconds. The winning team featured Shannon Banark, Maddie Klippenstein, Meredith Ballou and Natalie Wolbert finished in 2 minutes, 02.33 seconds.

Banark added firsts in the 100 butterfly (1:03.59) and the 100 backstroke (1:03.01). Klippenstein won the 100 breaststroke (1:14.42).

Sage Nichols took first in the 500 freestyle (6:10.24) and was third in the 200 freestyle.

Ballou added a third in the 200 individual medley and joined Banark, Nichols and Wolbert on the third-place 400 freestyle relay.

Klippenstein joined Lindsey Swindler, Emilia Wisniewski and Macy Moriarty on the 200 freestyle relay that was third.

Lindbergh Invitational

Park Hill South rolled up 467.5 points and cruised to a win over 12 other teams in St. Louis on Saturday, Dec. 15.

Among the teams the Panthers beat was Francis Howell, which was fourth in Class 2 last year.

The Panthers won two championships. Georgia Clark won the 100-yard backstroke (58.14 seconds), while the 200 freestyle team of Lola Reuscher, Sophie Jaeger, Amelia Lee and Christine Hwang finished in 1:44.83.

Another first-place finish came from Taylor Young in the 1-meter diving, scoring 203.25 points.

Clark, Sydney Staebaell, Hwang and Emma Clark was second in the 200 medley relay (1:54.91).

Georgia Clark was second in the 200 individual medley and Hwang tied for second in the 50 freestyle.

Independence Invitational

Park Hill took third place at the Independence Invitational held Saturday, Dec. 15 at the Henley Aquatic Center.

Park Hill had 239 points, coming in behind champion Liberty North and Columbia Rock Bridge.

The Trojans had four runners-up finishes — two in relays.

The 200 medley relay team of Abigail Culp, Emma Will, Emily Fickenscher and Brooklyn Pierce finished in 1:59.32. Will, Culp, Pierce and Arielle Janssens took second in the 400 freestyle relay (3:53.29).

Will was the runner-up in the 100 backstroke and was third in the 200 individual medley.

Pierce was second in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle.

Other duals

Park Hill 120, Kearney 63

Each team won six events but depth led to a win on Tuesday, Dec. 11.

UMSL signee Abigail Culp won the 100-yard freestyle (59.16, a consideration time for the state meet) and 100 backstroke (1:08.61) for Park Hill.

Emily Wickerham won the 200 freestyle (2:17.97) and Emma Owen won the 100 butterfly (1:09.28).

Jaden Galang won the 1-meter diving with 183.05 points.

The 400 freestyle relay team of Emma Will, Culp, Arielle Janssens and Maggie Redinger won in 4:01.93.

Park Hill posted considerations times in the 200 medley relay (two teams); in Will and Janssens in the 50 freestyle and 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle relay.

Platte County 179, Smithville 91

The Pirates won a Suburban Conference Blue Division dual on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at the Platte County Community Center North in Platte City.

Platte County won six events, while Smithville had four wins. Two of the six wins for the Pirates came in the relays.

The 200-yard medley relay team of Shannon Banark, Maddie Klippenstein, Meredith Ballou and Natalie Wolbert took first, posting a 12-second winning margin. In the final race of the day, the 400 freestyle relay, Banark, Klippenstein, Ballou and Wolbert took first again (4:12.57), winning by 42 seconds.

Klippenstein won the 100 breaststroke (1:15.28), while Banark won the 50 freestyle (25.59).

Other wins for the Pirates came from Sage Nichols in the 200 freestyle (2:16.40) and Emilia Wisniewski in the 100 backstroke (1:16.90).