While Platte County outpointed Smithville 483-270 and won 9 of 11 individual events in Tuesday’s dual, the youthful roster remains focused more on improvements than victories at this point. The Pirates do not have a senior on the roster and only two swimmers with prior Class 1 Missouri State Swimming and Diving Championships experience.
Platte County junior Cobie Parkin swims in the 200-yard freestyle during a dual with Smithville on Tuesday at Platte County Community Center North.
Not surprisingly, Platte County all-state juniors Deacon Gutshall and Palmer Keith finished first in both of their individual events in the season-opener at Platte County Community Center North and were also part of winning relays with new-look quartets that also include junior Cobie Parkin and sophomore Jack Hokanson. However, the Pirates also swept the relays thanks to junior Zach Linville, sophomores Landon Steffel and Alex Emmerich, and freshman Collin Bralley in the 200-yard freestyle.
Additionally, Hokanson broke the 1-minute mark for the first time in the 100 butterfly and added a PR while winning the 200 individual medley (2 minutes, 16.70 seconds). He cut nearly 4 seconds off his prior best in the butterfly and almost 5 seconds in the IM.
Platte County first-year coach Britt Johnson talks with juniors Zach Linville and Sonney Marquis and sophomore Alex Emmerich during a dual with Smithville on Tuesday at Platte County Community Center North.
Now an established long-distance freestyle star, Gutshall impressed in his first 500 freestyle of the year, winning in 4:52.99 — just about 4 seconds off his school record set during an all-state swim to conclude his sophomore season. Bralley debuted in the event and finished second at 6:17.77.
As a freshman, Gutshall expected to have a focus on the 100 backstroke, but a berth to state in the 500 freestyle changed his career trajectory. However, he still excels in the shorter event and placed first Tuesday in 59.08 to set a state consideration time.
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.
Keith set consideration times while winning both the 100 butterfly (57.18) and 100 breaststroke (1:06.09). Hokanson finished second behind Keith in the 100 butterfly at 59.52 and currently has the No. 14 posted time in Class 1 for that event and the No. 25 time in the 200 IM. He went to state as a relay alternate in his freshman season but has now posted the first individual state cuts of his career.
Platte County’s 200 medley (1:48.28) and 400 freestyle 3:47.57 with Gutshall, Keith, Hokanson and Parkin (1:48.28) both hit state cuts in the season-opener. Parkin recorded the final individual victory of the day in the 200 freestyle (2:25.42).
