Parkway Central Boys Win Five Events En Route To First Missouri State Title In 44 Years

2022 MSHSAA Boys State Championships – Class 1

After a disappointing result at last season’s championship meet, the Parkway Central boys put it all together to claim the school’s first Missouri Class 1 state title in 44 years on Saturday, putting up 290 points.

Last year, Parkway Central fell to fourth place due to a pair of critical disqualifications—they would’ve been second otherwise—and got some redemption with a very impressive showing on the weekend.

Chaminade Prep took 2nd with 234 points, while Parkway West (166) edged out Pembroke Hill (165) by one point to round out the top three.

Leading the charge for Parkway Central was junior William Jost, who swept his individual events and also contributed to a pair of winning relays, factoring into four of the team’s five event wins overall.

Jost set a new Class 1 record in the 100 free, clocking a lifetime best of 45.29 to lower the 2019 mark of 45.30 established by Nevada’s Ben Hines, and he also swam back-to-back PBs to win the 50 free in 20.70 (having lowered his previous best of 20.87 with a 20.73 prelim swim).

Jost also anchored Parkway Central’s winning 200 medley relay with a 20.24 freestyle split, and brought home the record-setting 200 free relay in 20.22.

That 200 free relay squad of Quinn Wolf (22.04), Tyler Bryant (21.85), Jake Hansen (21.63) and Jost combined for a time of 1:25.74, breaking the Class 1 Record of 1:26.57 set by Glendale last year.

Hansen, who also split 25.64 on the 200 medley relay, added an individual win in the 100 breast, establishing a sizeable best time of 55.96, nearly two seconds quicker than his runner-up performance in 2021 (57.71).

“The boys deserve it,” Central coach Andrew Schonhoff told STLtoday. “They’ve been working their butts off. I couldn’t be more proud of these boys and the work they’ve put in. It’s just awesome to see them experience the success of all their hard work.

“Last year’s state had a handful of disappointments in it and, for the majority of these boys, this meet started 365 days ago. They’ve been hungry not just for the last three months, but for the last 12 months.”

Joining Jost by winning a pair of individual state titles were Chaminade junior Matthew Judkins and Clayton senior Graham Zucker.

Judkins, who was coming in as the reigning champion in the 100 fly, successfully defended that title, breaking the Class 1 Record in the prelims in a time of 48.76. The previous record stood at 48.81, set by Central’s Brogan Davis in 2017. Judkins went on to win the final in 48.97, nearly two and a half seconds clear of runner-up Marat Usov (51.42).

Judkins’ fly ability was also on display in the 200 medley relay, splitting 21.47 in the prelims and then 21.89 in the final on the third leg of Chaminade’s sixth-place-finishing squad.

After placing third in 2021, Judkins also won the 200 IM in a time of 1:51.64, well under his best time coming in of 1:54.94 (he went 1:52.93 in the heats). Usov, a senior at Pembroke Hill, also took second in that race in 1:52.88, with Central’s Hansen (1:53.04) a close third.

Judkins capped the meet off with a third title in the 400 free relay, teaming up with Josh Schultz (47.12), Trey Cunneen (48.05), Spencer Kinsey (49.95) and reeling off a 46.13 anchor leg as Chaminade finished first in 3:11.25, just ahead of Central (3:11.65).

Zucker, who is committed to Emory University, won the 200 free (1:40.66) and 100 back (50.48), setting a new PB of 50.44 in the latter in the prelims. Last year he finished third in the 100 free and second in the 100 back.

Also picking up wins at the competition was Kearney freshman Whitaker Stewart in the 500 free (4:34.41) and Webster Groves senior Bennet Loving in the 1-meter diving event.

TOP 10 TEAM SCORES

  1. Parkway Central, 290
  2. Chaminade, 234
  3. Parkway West, 166
  4. Pembroke Hill, 165
  5. Parkway South, 147
  6. Lafayette (Wildwood), 109
  7. John Burroughs, 105
  8. Clayton, 89
  9. Ladue Horton Watkins, 88
  10. Raytown, 83

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Fl Hs Fan
1 year ago

Still no Sarasota high school three peat article

Admin
Reply to  Fl Hs Fan
1 year ago

You’re really threading the needle by caring enough leave this comment on every HS championship article but not enough to *actually look*. We covered the meet last week.

https://swimswam.com/sauickie-weyant-lead-riverview-girls-to-fhsaa-4a-title-sarasota-boys-repeat/

Here’s a link to our HS tab, in case you’re ever unsure!

https://swimswam.com/news/high-school/

Walter
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

Typical. ” I haven’t seen or heard of something, so it doesn’t exist and I’m going to complain and whine about it.” Too lazy to even try to look. SMH. Downvote me. Its fine.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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