Park Hill swimming qualifies 3rd relay for state

Park Hill now has all three relays automatically qualified for the Class 2 Missouri State Swimming and Diving Championships.

During a weekend quad at Park Hill Aquatic Center in Kansas City, Mo., the Trojans’ 200-yard medley relay posted a season-best time of 1 minute, 44.93 seconds to make the cut. The group of Jordan Timmerman, Zack O’Conor, Alex Dunlevy and Nick Dieffenbach scored one of six event victories.

Park Hill won head-to-head with visiting Nixa and Kickapoo but lost 95-91 in the matchup with state powerhouse Rockhurst.

Individually, Park Hill won the 200 individual medley (Dunlevy, 2:11.23), 100 freestyle (Timmerman (51.14), 500 freestyle (Sam Duesterhaus, 5:08.87) and 100 breaststroke (O’Conor, 1:04.61). Mark Foster, already qualified for state, also topped the 1-meter diving field with a score of 248.40 — a new season-best mark.

In addition to the 200 medley relay, Park Hill’s 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays already hit state cuts this season. Dunlevy also has an automatic qualifying time in the 500 freestyle to join Foster as the only individuals to hit the mark so far this season.

Kansas City Pentagular

Platte County finished second to Blue Springs in a five-team meet Tuesday, Sept. 19 in Kansas City, Mo.

No new state cuts were hit, but the Pirates won four events total, including a pair of relays. Caden DeLay, a senior, took the top spot in two individual events, nearly hitting a state mark in the 100 butterfly (57.17). He also won the 200 individual medley in 2:09.33.

Platte County’s 200 freestyle relay (DeLay, Jerry Orozco, Alex Beall and Rhett Spell) and 400 freestyle relay (DeLay, Orozco, Baxter Stone and Joe Ragone) were just off season-best teams while posting victories. Orozco was second in the 200 freestyle — Beall behind him in third — and the 100 freestyle.