Welcome back, John.
Lawrence High senior John Armstrong, who didn't compete in high school swimming last season while devoting time to his club team, won two individual events and swam on two first-place relays to help the Lions dominate Thursday at Knox Natatorium.
"I like the team aspect of swimming in high school and the relationships you build on the team," said Armstrong, who won the 50 freestyle (23.36) and 100 freestyle (50.91).
The Lions placed first in eight of 12 events to compile 356 points. Free State, which won three events, placed second at the five-team meet with 318 points.
The city schools hadn't swum competitively since Dec. 10 because of the holiday break.
"I was pleased with my 50 time because I didn't get to swim as much over the break as I wanted to," Armstrong said. "Now is the time you look at your times and you try to progress. I need to buckle down the next month and put some hard work in so I can do good at state."
Armstrong teamed with Elliott Lauxman, Anthony Portello and Jonathan Legler to win the 200 medley relay (1:50.85) and 200 freestyle relay (1:36.37).
Portello, a ninth-grader at Southwest Junior High, shined in his varsity debut. Besides the two relays, Portello won the 200 individual medley (2:09.09) and the 100 butterfly (59.16).
Other LHS winners were Legler in the 200 freestyle (1:55.18) and John Gatti in diving (244.26 points).
With just four days of practice the past two weeks, LHS coach Alicia Jackson was eager to see her team in the water.
"It's exciting to come back and see how everybody is doing," Jackson said. "We had some personal bests."
Firebird winners were Alex Brunfeldt in the 500 freestyle (4:59.33) and David Adams in the 100 backstroke (1:05.05).
"That's a fast time for me," Adams said of the 100 back.
A year ago at this time, Brunfeldt was sidelined with a broken left arm following a sledding accident. Brunfeldt didn't risk another injury during the holiday break, especially with no snow on the ground.
Brunfeldt, too, was eager to start the new year right.
"I wanted to see where I was compared to the other swimmers," Brunfeldt said.
Adams and Brunfeldt teamed with Chris Wolff and Chris Sellon to win the 400 freestyle relay (3:42.83).
"We did really well and the competition was pretty tough," FSHS coach Annette McDonald said over the Firebirds' overall performance.
For the first time in the program's five-year history, Free State took a 'road trip' to Knox Natatorium. Knox had been the Firebirds' home pool until this season with the addition of the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on the FSHS campus.
"Some of the guys asked, 'Do we really have to take the bus?'" McDonald said.
Both city schools will compete today and Saturday at the Park Hill Invitational in Kansas City, Mo.
Team scoring: Lawrence 356, Free State 318, SM North 302, KC (Mo.) Rockhurst 202, Leavenworth 157.
City Results
200 medley relay 1. LHS (Elliot Lauxman, Anthony Portello, Jonathan Legler, John Armstrong), 1:50.85. 3. FSHS (David Adams, Chris Sellon, Alex Brunfeldt, Chris Wolff), 1:55.16. 4. LHS (Isaac Bari, Ian Legler, Cuyler Halpin, Harry Swartz), 2:03.88. 6. FSHS (Will Hecht, Nathan Schriner, Brent Crouse, Patrick Brandt), 2:07.94.
200 freestyle 1. J. Legler, LHS, 1:55.18. 4. Adams, FSHS, 2:02.80. 5. Lauxman, LHS, 2:06.92. 8. Seth Alford, FSHS, 2:19.10. 11. Swartz, LHS, 2:26.76. 13. Schriner, FSHS, 2:32.05.
200 individual medley 1. Portello, LHS, 2:09.09. 2. Brunfeldt, FSHS, 2:10.56. 3. Bari, LHS, 2:25.75. 4. Crouse, FSHS, 2:27.91. 5. Brian Sears, FSHS, 2:37.62. 6. Grant Wille, LHS, 2:38.11.
50 freestyle 1. Armstrong, LHS, 23.36. 3. Wolff, FSHS, 24.32. 4. Halpin, LHS, 25.40. 7. Eric Kawahigashi, LHS, 26.27. 12. Bret Robinson, FSHS, 29.09.
Diving 1. John Gatti, LHS, 244.26. 2. Nicholas Leet, LHS, 206.75. 5. Chris Trepinski, FSHS, 115.9. 6. Luke Thompson, FSHS, 109.20.
100 butterfly 1. Portello, LHS, 59.16. 4. Wolff, FSHS, 1:01.98. 5. Sellon, FSHS, 1:02.98. 7. Phillip Wrigley, LHS, 1:05.15. 10. Brandt, FSHS, 1:21.59.
100 freestyle 1. Armstrong, LHS, 50.91. 8. Halpin, 1:01.73. 7. Sears, FSHS, 1:08.6. 10. Robinson, FSHS, 1:05.02. 11. Michael Martin, FSHS, 1:09.03.
500 freestyle 1. Brunfeldt, FSHS, 4:59.33. 2. Sellon, FSHS, 5:15.61. 3. J. Legler, LHS, 5:19.47. 4. Bari, LHS, 5:40.81. 6. Alford, FSHS, 6:15.50. 10. Swartz, LHS, 6:39.14.
200 freestyle relay 1. LHS (Armstrong, J. Legler, Portello, Lauxman), 1:36.37. 5. FSHS (Crouse, Robinson, Sears, Alford), 1:52.84. 6. LHS (Wrigley, Swartz, Kawahigashi, Neshev), 1:54.33. 8. FSHS (Schriner, Jimmy Lottes, Martin, Tyler Carmody), 1:59.86.
100 backstroke 1. Adams, FSHS, 1:05.05. 2. Lauxman, LHS, 1:06.65. 6. Kawahigashi, LHS, 1:18.45. 7. Hecht, FSHS, 1:20.09. 11. Michael Gaus, FSHS, 1:28.19.
100 breaststroke 3. Legler, LHS, 1:14.60. 4. Crouse, FSHS, 1:14.69. 7. Schriner, FSHS, 1:20.25. 8. Carmody, FSHS, 1:23.52.
400 freestyle relay 1. FSHS (Wolff, Adams, Sellon, Brunfeldt), 3:42.83. 5. LHS (Bari, Halpin, Wrigley, I. Legler), 4:13.83. 8. FSHS (Alford, Brandt, Sears, Andy Frye), 4:33.30.
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