Kearney swims its way to fourth at Missouri state meet

Tyler Godsey had a good, solid plan heading into the Missouri Class 1 100-yard breaststroke championship heat.

“It was my last high school race, and I just wanted to go out and make it memorable,” the Kearney senior said. “Even if I didn’t win it, I just wanted to have a good time and make sure I had fun with it.”

Godsey had a good time and made it memorable all at once on Saturday, as he came from behind after the first 50 yards to win the event and cap his high school career with his first state title in the final individual event at the Missouri state Class 1 boys swimming and diving championships at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.

His time of 58.06 seconds was enough to edge early leader Matthew States of Lutheran St. Charles, who had the top time in Friday’s preliminaries.

“I’ve just been training all season for it,” Godsey said. “It felt like a really good race. Like the best one that I’ve had ever.”

Saturday was supposed to be a big day individually for Kearney senior Evan Holt, as he went for a three-peat in the 200 freestyle and a second straight title in the 500 freestyle.

But instead, Holt, a University of Iowa recruit, finished a close second to Cape Girardeau Central junior Daniel Seabaugh in both events.

“Honestly, if I had to get beat by someone, I wanted it to be Daniel,” Holt said. “I like that guy.”

Seabaugh felt the same way, telling Holt he would miss competing against him while the two awaited receipt of their 500-free medals.

In that race, which Kearney coach Nathan Long called a “heavyweight race,” Seabaugh finished in 4 minutes, 29.83 seconds and barely eclipse Holt’s 4:29.88.

“That was a really fun race,” Holt said. “I like swimming against Daniel. We always push each other. This was the best state meet I’ve ever had, honestly.”

Holt did get a chance to stand on top of the podium Saturday when he, Godsey, senior Carter White and sophomore Vaughn Sloan won the 200 medley relay title for Kearney with a time of 1:38.44.

“That one was probably the most fun race I had here, actually,” Holt said. “All the guys did their part.”

That first event of the day sent Kearney on its way to the highest finish for any Kansas City-area team, as the Bulldogs compiled 143 points and finished fourth in the meet.

Kearney finished in second last year and was fourth in 2016, so the Bulldogs have three straight top-four finishes and a team plaque from each.

“I push them real hard, and I expect a lot of them. And they deliver every single day,” said Long, who was named Class 1 coach of the year at the conclusion of the meet. “Our goal this year was to just bring home a trophy. I lost a lot of seniors from last year, and our goal was to prove that we’re not done. And they did it.”

Oak Park’s Hill brothers gathered medals like they were going out of style Saturday.

Junior Robbie Hill authored a second-place performance in the 200 individual medley, and he was third in the 100 butterfly. Senior Jonathan Hill claimed a pair of third-place finishes in the 100 free and 200 free.

“We’ve been training really hard for the past three months pushing each other,” Jonathan Hill said. “We’re both super competitive, so we’re counting points against each other. But, I think he’s got me beat with a second-place finish, so he’s got a little more bragging rights at home.”

Smithville sophomore Nathan Noll had the area’s other second-place finish, in the 100 butterfly. The only other third-place medal was won by Park Hill South sophomore Greyson Langer in the 1-meter diving competition.