Put to the first big test, Platte County received the expected leadership from senior star Brooklynn Hays but also showed potential depth for a group replacing the majority of last season’s state qualifiers.
Platte County junior Ireland Shanks swims the 100-yard butterfly during a triangular Wednesday, November 29 at Platte County Community Center North.
Hays placed second in the 100-yard freestyle and fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke, while all three relays finished in the top 10 during this past weekend’s Winnetonka Holiday Invitational at Gladstone Community Center in Kansas City. The Pirates ended up seventh out of more the 25 teams in the field.
Platte County entered having only one other competition so far this season, a triangular more than a week earlier with Smithville and St. Pius X.
Already one of the most accomplished swimmers in program history, Hays scored the majority of Platte County’s individual team points in the Winnetonka Invite, starting with her runnerup showing in the 100 freestyle. She came in at 56.35 seconds — about a half second back of Liberty North’s Adrianna Hudnall.
Unofficially, Hays posted the No. 4 consideration cut for the Class 1 MSHSAA State Swimming and Diving Championships in the event.
A two-time state medalist in the 100 breaststroke, Hays came in fourth on Saturday in the event at 1:11.66 with only three Class 2 swimmers in front of her. She unofficially ranks No. 4 in Class 1 at this early point in the season but with her time from the previous week’s triangular.
Platte County senior Jayden Benninghoff swims the backstroke during a triangular Wednesday, November 29 at Platte County Community Center North.
Platte County’s best relay finish came from the 200 medley team of Hays, senior Jayden Benninghoff, junior Chloe Pegler and sophomore Ashleigh Cruce. Benninghoff comes into the season as a versatile performer who made her state debut on the 400 freestyle team last year, while Cruce was an impressive first-year freshman. Pegler took advantage to start filling in gaps left by last year’s large and talented senior class.
Finishing in 2:03.67, Platte County placed sixth in the 200 medley and only behind one Class 1 team (fourth-place Pembroke Hill).
Platte County’s 200 and 400 freestyle teams both placed 10th. The Pirates’ 200 quartet consisted of Hays, Cruce, Pegler and junior Ireland Shank (1:53.17), while Benninghoff, Shank and freshmen Mackenzie Johnson and Ronnie Benford composed the 400 group (4:26.69).
All three relays posted state consideration times with the 200 medley currently in the top 15 of Class 1.
Johnson and Benford also made impressive invitational debuts as potentially important freshman contributors with a pair of top-10 finishes each. Both just missed state consideration cuts with Benford eighth in the 500 freestyle (6:13.95) and 10th in the 200 freestyle (2:19.89). Johnson finished just behind Benford in the 500 freestyle (ninth, 6:14.42) and 10th in the 200 individual medley (2:35.75).
Cruce filled the influential freshman role last year, and she added a 10th-place finish in the 100 butterfly (1:09.09), which also just missed the state consideration mark.
The fastest 32 individuals and relays qualify for state with swimmers permitted to enter and actually compete in a maximum of four events, no more than two of which may be individual events. A swimmer must hit a designated time to be in consideration for those spots.
Outside of Hays and Benninghoff, Shank is the only other Platte County swimmer with previous state experience. She was one of two sophomores on last year’s consolation finalist 200 medley team, but fellow junior Madeleine Stone did not return to the roster this year.
Shank also qualified in the 100 butterfly each of her first two years.
Hays enters the season in position to join Shannon Banark as the only Platte County swimmer to have three seasons with a state medal in an individual event. She is a three-time all-state performer (100 breaststroke in 2021 and 2023; 100 freestyle in 2023). She also has been on one all-state and four honorable mention all-state relays during her first three seasons.
Platte County Triangular
Platte County senior Alyson Stone swims the 100-yard backstroke during a triangular Wednesday, November 29 at Platte County Community Center North.
The hosts won all but two events in their home and season-opener last Wednesday, November 29 at Platte County Community Center North.
Hays, Benninghoff, Benford and Cruce combined to finish first in six individual events and were big parts of Platte County’s three victorious relays. Hays posted her current state consideration times in both the 200 IM (2:18.57) and 100 breaststroke (1:10.96), while Benninghoff also doubled up in the 100 freestyle (1:04.00) and 100 backstroke (1:12.27). She led a top-five sweep for the Pirates in the 100 backstroke that also included senior Alyson Stone (second), sophomore Grace Handke (third), senior Emilee Handke (fourth) and sophomore Hannah Mills (fifth).
Cruce’s win came in the 100 butterfly (1:10.32), while Shank finished as runnerup (1:13.34), and Benford topped the 200 freestyle field (2:21.45) in her varsity debut.
Platte County’s 200 medley team consisted of Benninghoff, Hays, Shanks and Cruce, while the 200 freestyle also utilized Hays and Cruce but added the freshmen duo of Johnson and Bedford. Both Johnson and Bedford were on the 400 freestyle team with Benninghoff and Shank.
