Platte County won the first three events and six overall in a quadrangular Wednesday, Dec. 21 but didn’t quite have the depth to take the team title.
Belton won its home meet with 374 points, edging Platte County by four in Belton, Mo. Raymore-Peculiar was third and Smith-Cotton fourth.
Platte County opened with a win in the 200-yard medley relay from the team of Bailey Newell, Rachel Valentine, Hannah Havemeier and Hailee Baer — a group that accounted for three of the four individual wins for the Pirates. Havemeier followed with a dominant win in the 200 freestyle (2 minutes, 10.84 seconds), while Baer topped the field in the 200 individual medley, beating teammate Olivia Forrester to the wall by more than 8 seconds.
Valentine (500 freestyle) and Forrester (100 breaststroke) also had individual victories.
Platte County’s 400 freestyle relay team of Valentine, Forrester, Baer and Havemeier closed the meet with the final win, topping Belton by about 3 seconds. Platte County didn’t have any times close to meeting Missouri State Swimming and Diving Championships’ qualifying standards.
Going into winter break, Valentine remains Platte County’s lone qualifier so far this season. She previously made a state cut in the 100 breaststroke, qualifying in the event for a third consecutive season.
Raytown Triangular
Abigail Culp and Brooklyn Pierce gave Park Hill two more state qualifiers during a meet Tuesday, Dec. 20 at “The Bird Bath” in Raytown, Mo.
The pair of sophomores joined junior Nani Welsh, who improved a state time in the 100 freestyle and 200 individual medley, as individuals with state times this season for the Trojans. Culp (5:26.02 in the 500 freestyle) and Pierce (1:00.23) won events to earn state returns.
Pierce was part of medal-winning 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays for Park Hill as a freshman, along with Welsh.
Park Hill scored 190 points to win the team competition with Raytown second at 92½ and Raytown South third at 38½. The Trojans won nine events overall.