Park Hill South star swimmer Jacob Duckworth celebrates after becoming a state champion last fall.
The Park Hill South swimming and diving team is coming off the best finish in program history, hoping to build off being the runner-up in all of Class 2.
With swimming only being divided into two classes, Park Hill South had to compete against the biggest schools in the state and outlasted all but Rockhurst. The Hawklets ran away with the title with the second and third place teams having a battle to see who would be the runner-up as the Panthers ended with 268 points and Kirkwood took third place with 242 points.
“They will need to work harder on the finer details to improve on last year’s second place finish,” Park Hill South swimming and diving coach Tim Busenhart said.
Jacob Duckworth had a remarkable junior campaign, going from not swimming competitively in multiple years to becoming a state champion in a pair of events and breaking some program records along the way. Duckworth won the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke.
Park Hill South will have six other seniors who were a part of last year’s historical team, led by Alex Briggs, Grady Burns and Isaac Dierker. The loaded senior class will fill out with Drew Franklin, Matt Henderson and Roman Lewis.
“We are a very experienced team and are looking to challenge for a championship this year,” Busenhart said.
Junior Gentry Comstock qualified to state in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke while his classmate Maris Nicholas competed in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard breaststroke last year. Park Hill South will have four sophomores – Brendan Anderson, Cooper McQueen, Atreyu McCauley and Henry Dorothy – who will be diving again.