Kearney finishes second at first Missouri Class 1 swim/dive meet

The forward progression of the Kearney boys swimming and diving team reached a new high Friday.

One year after a program-best fourth-place finish in the final state meet to feature all teams in one classification, the Bulldogs soared to a second-place finish at the inaugural Class 1 meet at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.

“We’ve been trying to change the culture of the team for a while and now the expectation is we are going to be among the top four teams every year,” Kearney coach Nathan Long said. “The past four years have all been the best. We were 19th four years ago, ninth three years ago, fourth last year and now second. It’s been a great progression.”

Kearney amassed a total of 250 points to finish behind only defending state champion Cape Girardeau Central (301.5 points). Glendale was third with 208 points.

“We came into the meet knowing it was gonna be tough to get first, but we also knew the third and fourth-place teams were gonna be gunning for us,” Long said.

The four-year run of excellence has coincided with the arrival of Long as head coach and standout senior swimmers like Grant Sloan and Austin Wolfe.

“I’m just so proud of those boys,” Long said. “A couple of those seniors, we all started at the same time together four years ago. So, it’s a really, really great moment for us.”

The debut three years ago of junior Evan Holt, who is now a multiple individual state champion, only further enhanced the squad.

“It’s great. We’ve all been swimming together for a long time,” Holt said.

And you can’t miss the Bulldogs in a crowded room. They’re the biggest group of dyed blondes.

“The whole team dyed their hair for conference. And then the state guys shaved the sides for Mohawks,” Sloan said. “We’ve been real close this year, closer than we’ve ever been. This team is awesome. I love every single one of them.”

Sloan and Holt each won a pair of individual state titles on Friday.

Sloan won the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 20.41 seconds, and the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 56.95 seconds. His time in the 50 was just a hair under the state record time of 20.38 by Rockhurst’s Matthew Margritier in 2010.

“I was shooting for the record,” Sloan said. “I was just happy that I came that close. And I still hold the Class 1 record.”

Like his team, Sloan has progressed each year in the 50.

“Freshman year, I didn’t place in the 50-free at all,” he said. “Sophomore year, I took eighth and I was pretty happy with that. And then last year, I took third. All I could ever ask for this year was this.”

Holt won his second straight title in the 200-free (1:40.70) and also won the 500-free (4:34.26).

“I don’t really know how to explain it. I’m just happy,” he said. “It’s hard doing the 500 because you have to give everything and push through everything.”

Wolfe finished second to Holt in the 200-free and he also had a second-place finish in the 100-free.

“I felt pretty good,” Wolfe said. “I’m not too mad at this.”

Kearney picked up a fifth championship when the 200-free relay team of Sloan, Holt, Wolfe and junior Carter White won with a time of 1:26.85 to edge out Cape Central.

“That got really intense toward the end because we were right next to each other,” Holt said. “It was great.”

The Bulldogs also had a second-place finish in the 400-free relay. The only Kanas City-area individual besides Wolfe with a second-place finish was Park Hill South junior Jackson Garrett in the 100-yard backstroke.

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 4:41 PM with the headline "Kearney finishes second at first Missouri Class 1 swim/dive meet."