Platte County shows well in 2 home meets with plenty of room to keep improving

Drew DeLay already knows the potential for Platte County this season, but the work must come first to progress to the envisioned form. For now, the Pirates have shown well at two early home triangulars, including five event victories Tuesday at Platte County Community Center North.

“I really have a good feeling about this season,” said DeLay, a three-time qualifier for the Class 1 Missouri State Swimming and Diving Championships and defect senior leader this season. “We have really great people on this team, but we also have some really, really good swimmers. I’m so excited to see what the season holds.”

Park Hill totaled 573 points and outpointed Platte County (535) and Smithville (287), but team scores matter little at this point.

Platte County stays focused on continuing the development not only for a core of six returning state qualifiers but a promising group of contributors ranging from first-year freshmen to experienced candidates with a chance to restock relays. DeLay and junior Brooklynn Hays will likely be the top individuals, and they combined to win three races Tuesday.

Hays turned in a career-best and state consideration qualifying time in the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 20.33 seconds), topping the time she had set just five days earlier, and finished about 9 seconds in front of sophomore teammate Madeleine Stone. In the 100 freestyle, Hays (56.84) finished in front of DeLay (59.01) with both putting up state cuts and finishing just off career-best times in another solid 1-2 showing.

DeLay later went 1:15.05 to win the 100 breaststroke, the strongest individual event for Platte County the past two seasons. She has yet to swim the other event she envisions being a focus for her senior season.

State qualification takes the top 32 in each event with swimmers limited to two individual events and two relays or all three relays if only qualified in one or no individual events.

“Definitely 100 breaststroke is kind of my prideful event, but I definitely want to focus more on the 50 free this year,” said DeLay, who put up a state consideration time in the 100 breaststroke, as well but was not pushed to the line.

Platte County’s other wins were in the 200 medley relay (2:20.54) and 200 freestyle relay (1:49.97). The medley team of DeLay, Hays, Stone and senior Madeline Judy were just off a state consideration cut but won the race by about 17 seconds, while the same quartet finished just off their season best from last week’s home opener in the 200 freestyle race to again win by a wide margin.

With individuals limited to two relays in single meets, as well, Platte County still put up a state consideration cut in the 400 freestyle relay (4:20.27) with the team of sophomore Ireland Shank, senior Lauren Beatty, freshman Ashleigh Cruce and junior Jayden Benninghoff. The Pirates finished second in the race to Park Hill.

Individually, Stone also turned in a runnerup finish in the 100 backstroke (1:11.35), while Shank came in second in the 500 freestyle in a season-best 6:17.39.

Hays and DeLay return with all-state credentials (top-eight finishes either as an individual, part of a relay or both), while Stone, Shank, Judy and senior Blair Bolling also swam at state last year. Judy and Stone were each on an honorable mention all-state relay in their debuts.

Platte County 800, Blue Springs 526, Summit Christian 169

The Pirates finished first in half the individual events in a season-opening meet last Thursday at Platte County Community Center North but truly dominated thanks to depth.

In fact, Platte County opened by taking the top two spots in the 200 medley relay. The team of DeLay, Hays, Judy and Stone were dominant with an easy state consideration time (2:00.95), while a team of Bolling, senior Ella Chiddix, Shank and Cruce came in second (2:14.56). The second time also hit the cut but won’t be the season-best due to the performance of the first-place quartet. In addition, DeLay, Hays, Judy and Stone set the Pirates’ season-best in winning the 200 freestyle relay (1:48.50).

Platte County also racked up big points by sweeping the top eight spots in the 100 backstroke. Stone (1:11.32), DeLay (1:13.25) and Beatty (1:16.72) were the top-three. The Pirates also went 1-2-3 in the 200 IM but also had the only three swimmer entered — Hays (2:23.00, which at the time was the best mark of her career in the event), Shank (2:32.55) and DeLay (2:39.20).

In a unique quirk, Cruce recorded a win in the first individual swim of what looks like a promising career at Platte County. She was the lone participant in the 100 butterfly but nearly hit a state cut with her winning time of 1:09.11 while being the only swimmer in the pool. Hays (1:12.56) later topped Cruce (1:25.01) in a spaced-out top-two finish in the 100 breaststroke with the Pirates again taking the top two spots.

With Cruce leading the way, Platte County showed the camaraderie of a program that embraces participants at all stages of development.

“We really want to make sure everybody’s having fun,” DeLay said. “We also want to make sure everyone is included. That’s a really big thing for us.”

Beatty (2:21.26 in the 200 freestyle) and Shank (6:20.23) also posted runnerup finishes for Platte County. In addition, the 400 freestyle team of Beatty, Bolling, Stone and senior Samantha Teufel finished as runnerup for the Pirates to close the meet.

In a drastic change from recent seasons, Platte County also put two entries into the 1-meter diving competition. Stone finished seventh in her debut, while Bolling did not meet criteria for a placement. Still, the Pirates hope to see contributions from this often-overlooked event moving forward.

“It’s really, really cool, honestly,” DeLay said. “In my high school experience, I’ve never seen a diver (at Platte County), and this year, having two divers, it’s a really cool experience to see. All of the girls that are diving this year seem like they wan to continue.”