Platte County knows and understands the strength of a small but top-end-talented roster, and the focus doesn’t have to revolve around winning. Instead, the Pirates continue to seek out ways to develop all the swimmers and try to build for the future.
Platte County junior Jack Hokanson competes in the 200-yard individual medley during the Platte County Invitational on Saturday at Platte County Community Center North.
Even without top-end stars in all preferred events, Platte County came up just short of winning the team title at Saturday’s Platte County Invitational at Platte County Community Center North. Pembroke Hill totaled 286 points and topped the Pirates by four.
Platte County seniors Deacon Gutshall and Palmer Keith and junior Jack Hokanson combined to win four individual events while also pairing with freshman Beau Jonkman on the first-place 200-yard medley relay. There were 19 teams in attendance, creating a competitive field with nine point totals of 125 or more.
Raytown placed third with 277 — just five back of Platte County — while defending champion Savannah came in fourth with 219.
Gutshall, Keith, Hokanson and Jonkman started the meet strong for Platte County, setting a season-best of 1 minute, 45.34 seconds to win the medley relay. The Pirates moved to No. 12 in Class 1 MSHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships consideration qualifying times.
Platte County senior Deacon Gutshall competes in the 100-yard backstroke during the Platte County Invitational on Saturday at Platte County Community Center North.
Platte County currently ranks No. 9 in the 200 freestyle relay and No. 10 in the 400 freestyle relay, giving the Pirates options in which quartets to focus on in the upcoming Suburban Conference White Division Championships and the postseason. Swimmers competing in two individual events can enter only two relays in any one meet.
Gutshall also continued a strong run of performances and added a fourth school record.
Even while not competing in individual freestyle, the all-state senior set season-bests in winning the 100 butterfly (52.86) and 100 backstroke (54.64). He now owns top-15 Class 1 times in every individual event except for the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke.
The 52.86 mark in the 100 butterfly broke Keith’s school record of 53.38 set last year, and Gutshall now owns the top time in program history for that event plus the 500, 200 and 100 freestyle.
Hokanson finished second to Gutshall in the 100 butterfly at 56.38 — about a half second off his season-best and the current No. 28 time in Class 1 of 55.90. Hokanson also won the 200 IM at 2:12.95. He owns the No. 25 state consideration cut there from when he went 2:07.09 in the COMO Invitational.
Keith scratched from the 200 IM but won the 100 breaststroke race by nearly 4 full seconds, finishing in 1:03.34.
Platte County’s team of Gutshall, Jonkman, senior Cobie Parkin and sophomore Nathan Guzman finished second in the 400 freestyle relay (3:44.23)The Pirates went into the final event needing a win to guarantee at least a split of the team title. However, the runnerup finish in front of third-place Pembroke Hill (3:50.15) only made up two points of a six-point deficit.
