Free State High’s boys 4×800 relay team should challenge for a gold medal at the Kansas Relays this weekend at Memorial Stadium.

The Firebirds, ranked No. 2 behind Liberty, Mo., among the 4×800 relay entries, ran a blistering 8:10 at the William Jewell Invitational on Saturday in Liberty.

“We feel good with the guys we have,” said FSHS coach Steve Heffernan, who plans to run Justin White, Adrian Ludwig, Nick Ens and Hiral Bhakta in the 4×800 at the KU Relays.

Liberty, led by Adam Perkins, is the No. 1 seed at the Relays.

“We’ll have our hands full,” Heffernan said.

Heffernan believes sometime this spring the Firebirds could run under 7:50, which would rank No. 2 all-time in Kansas prep history behind the Jim Ryun-led Wichita East foursome in 1965 (7:40.1).

“It’s something we’ve kicked around the last two years,” Heffernan said of breaking the 7:50 barrier. “Hopefully, we’ll get the right meet and right weather conditions to do it.”

The 4×800 relay is set for 1:10 p.m. Saturday.

White, Ludwig and Ens will run the open 800.

Those three will join Bhakta in the distance medley, which should challenge for a top-three finish.

Another relay in which Free State ranks high is the boys 4×400 with Ens, White, Ludwig and Damian Harden.

The Firebirds have entries in seven girls events and eight boys events.

Fulton leads LHS

Lawrence High has nine boys and 11 girls entered in individual events.

LHS junior Chris Fulton, among the state’s top boys sprinters, should figure in the top 10 in the 100 at the Kansas Relays. His best time this spring is 10.7.

The 100 prelims are 10:20 a.m. today.

Other top challengers for LHS will be Dylan McClain in the 3,200-meter run, the boys 4×100 relay and Mag Obiefule in the shot put.

“I’m excited about it,” LHS coach Jerry Skakal said of the Relays. “It’s going to be a really good challenge.”

Noonan paces Baldwin

Baldwin senior Matt Noonan, who recently signed with Missouri, will run the 3,200 and join Eric Black, Hans Broers and Glen Stansberry on the 4×800 relay team.

Noonan is the top-ranked 2-miler in the state at 9:31.12.

Black is among the state’s top entries in the 400.

The Bulldogs should also be a force in the javelin. BHS seniors Hugh Murphy and Eric Brown currently rank 2-3 in the state.

Murphy’s season-best in the javelin is 198-7 and Brown’s is 197-5.

Brown finished first in the javelin at the Kansas Relays last spring.