Liam Bresette’s two titles highlight Broncos’ big day at state swim meet

Liam Bresette came to the Missouri Class 2 swimming and diving championships looking to take home two more gold medals. To no one’s surprise, that’s just what he did.

As expected, Bresette, a Lee’s Summit North senior, won state titles in the 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 37.04 seconds) and 100 freestyle (44.56), establishing new state records in both events Saturday, Nov. 4, at St. Peters Rec-Plex.

“It was just a lot of speed work,” said Bresette, who is an Arizona State recruit. “I’m very satisfied.”

Of the nine individual events at the Class 2 meet, six were won by athletes from the Kansas City area.

Lee’s Summit North freshman Daniel Worth captured the day’s final individual title, winning the 100 breaststroke in 57.07 and edging Lee’s Summit senior Andy Huffman’s by 0.03 seconds.

Huffman also took fourth in the 200 individual medley.

“Andy Huffman has really been a leader to me, one of my really good friends,” Worth said. “He’s really guided me and helped me, so it was fun to race him.”

The Lee’s Summit North 200 medley relay team of junior Grant Godard, Worth, freshman Lance Godard, and Bresette also won a state title (1:34.96).

Lance Godard also placed second in the 100 butterfly and seventh in the 200 individual medley, while Grant Godard place fourth in the 100 backstroke and North’s 400 free relay team took third. The Broncos’ 200 free relay took sixth.

North also had the area’s best team finish, claiming third with 221 points, behind state champion Columbia-Rock Bridge (243) and runner-up St. Louis University High (237).

“This is a great example of quality,” Broncos coach Brian Ray said. “We had seven guys total, six guys in the finals. To be able to pull a third-place finish, they carried this meet.”

Bresette added, “We may not be the biggest team, but we’re definitely one of the strongest.”

Bresette’s two titles and two records also came in two completely different events than the ones he won titles in last year, the 500 free and 200 individual medley).

“Last year, I just wanted to try something else,” he said. “This year, I just wanted to bring it back.”

Bring it back is exactly what Bresette did.

“We talked at the beginning of the season, and he said his goal was to set the 200 record and the 100 record again (which he first set in 2015),” Ray said. “And he did it in great, great style.”

Huffman’s two finals swims led Lee’s Summit, which placed sixth with 130.5 points.

Other finalists for the Tigers were Jason Graves (fifth, 100 butterfly) and Reece Stikeleather (eighth, 500 freestyle).

Lee’s Summit’s 200 medley relay team finished fourth and its 400 free relay was eighth.

Carson Spencer of Lee’s Summit West reached the 100 butterfly final and finished seventh.

This story was originally published November 7, 2017 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Liam Bresette’s two titles highlight Broncos’ big day at state swim meet."