Keith, Gutshall shine for Platte County in 1st 2 meets of season

Platte County standout sophomore Palmer Keith made it 4-for-4 after two meets in individual event qualifying standards for the Class 1 Missouri State Swimming and Diving Championships. He won’t he 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly in convincing fashion during a triangular with Lee’s Summit North and Park Hill on Tuesday at Lee’s Summit Aquatic Center in Lee’s Summit.

Overall, Platte County took first in three individual events plus one relay, while setting a large group of state qualifying times. Again this year, the state will take the top 32 swimmers who meet the standard in each event with swimmers allowed to enter two individual events and two relays.

Keith led Platte County to a 17th-place finish in Class 1 at state a year ago, owns three school records and will likely again hav his pick of state events.

In this week’s triangular, Keith won the 200 freestyle in 1 minute, 53.06 seconds — more than 2 seconds ahead of the runnerup. Platte County sophomore Deacon Gutshall (1:56.28) and senior Collin Burton (1:57.31) were third and fourth in the race, also hitting state qualifying standards.

Keith went 56.66 in the 100 butterfly with a winning margin of about a half second.

Burton, who has competed at state in a two individual events each of the past two years, picked up another victory for Platte County in the 100 freestyle (52.72). He came just in front of Gutshall, who also put up a state qualifying time at 53.08. The Pirates also went 1-2 in the 500 freestyle with senior Gage Jonkman (5:35.12) and junior Brayden Carter (5:54.98). Jonkman just missed a state cut in his first time swimming the event this season after making the field of 32 in 2021.

Jonkman also finished second in the 50 freestyle (25.20).

Platte County set season-bests and the current state qualifying times in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, winning the shorter of the two races. Gutshall, Burton, Keith and senior Carson Howe made up the 200 freestyle quartet (1:37.18) that bested Lee’s Summit. The 400 freestyle team of Burton, Gutshall, Keith and Jonkman (3:37.32) and the 200 medley team of Jonkman, Howe, Carter and senior Austin Hough both finished second to Park Hill.

Platte County Pentagular

Gutshall set a pair of personal-best times, and Platte County won seven of 12 events in the home opener last Tuesday at Platte County Community Center North. The Pirates finished second in the point standings behind Staley but well in front of Smithville, North Kansas City and Oak Park.

Keith also won a pair of individual events, as did senior Joey Croy (200 freestyle, 2:09.26).

Gutshall starred in two of his top individual events. After just missing an honorable mention all-state spot in the 500 freestyle as a freshman, he started 2022 with a better time than how he finished his 2021 season, topping a small field in 5:10.96 to set a qualifying time. Pirates senior Weston Grimes finished second in a personal-best 6:03.75.

For the other win, Gutshall set a state time in the 100 backstroke at 1:00.50 — beating the best time from his freshman season by .03 of a second. He led a sweep of the top four spots in the event for Platte County with Jonkman also hitting a state cut at 1:03.65, while Howe (1:04.10) and senior Brody Corbin (1:11.90) were third and fourth.

Keith opened the season in the 200 individual medley (2:04.32) and 100 freestyle (50.40) and making a state cut in both. Croy didn’t meet the state mark but set a personal-best in his 200 freestyle victory, while Corbin was third in the event (2:16.89).

Burton secured the other individual victory in the 50 freestyle with a state time of 24.28. He also finished third in the 100 butterfly and hit another state cut in the 100 butterfly (59.65).

Gutshall, Howe, Burton and Keith were also on Platte County’s first-place 400 freestyle team. The Pirates’ 200 medley team set the early season-best at 1:46.78 with Keith, Gutshall, Howe and Jonkman but came in second to Staley, which also won the 200 freestyle relay.

Platte County also finished second in the shorter freestyle relay with Hough, Burton, sophomore Cobie Parkin and freshman Jack Hokanson.