Manhattan ? This wasn’t the way Andrea Hemphill wanted her swan song sung not with a last-place finish in the last race of her career.

So when the Lawrence High standout jumped into the Kansas State Natatorium pool in eighth place Saturday during the 400 freestyle relay, she was determined to make up ground.

That Hemphill did, overcoming the first swimmer ahead of her in an eye-opening effort that would leave two more competitors in her wake as Hemphill locked up a fifth-place finish in her final event before heading off to swim at the University of Iowa next year.

Hemphill earlier had won two individual state titles helping the Lions to a top-10 finish and was one of four girls to tie for the meet’s most valuable swimmer award.

Oh, she also was named the state’s swimmer of the year.

“It was really a great way to go out,” a smiling Hemphill said.

She did nearly everything perfectly Saturday, except look graceful on the medal stand. She nearly fell on her back when her feet slipped out of the thong sandals she was wearing.

“Yeah, that was embarrassing, wasn’t it?” Hemphill said between laughs.

Almost as embarrassing as the fact that Hemphill individually outscored half of the teams at the meet.

Or that her school-record performances in both the 50 and 100 freestyles catapulted LHS into an eighth-place finish.

“I knew she would do it, and she knew she would do it,” LHS coach Ryan Adams said. “And now she’s finally got it done.”

While Hemphill and the Lions both achieved their preseason state goals, things didn’t quite work out the way Free State High coach Jama Crady had envisioned.

Crady said the 13th-place Firebirds’ finish wasn’t bad, but was below her expectations of a top-10 mark.

“I wanted this real bad for my girls,” said Crady, whose team made up a little ground after a slow start on Friday.

“We had some down the middle,” she said of people bouncing back after the first day while other swimmers stayed in a funk. “Others still weren’t where we needed them to be.”

Free State’s most notable turnaround came from senior Kelli Criswell, who swam her way out of the finals on Friday, but came back big Saturday with a season-best time of 2:01.93 in the 200 freestyle to finish ninth.

Free State’s top performer, though, was freshman Ashley Jackson, who took fourth in the 200 and finished fifth in the 500 freestyle her specialty event.

“I’m really motivated to comeback next year and win,” said Jackson, who said the Firebirds also should have a top-10 team next season with a young and talented group returning.

The 500 offered the best show by city swimmers; Lawrence’s Sarah Marlow took third, while the Lions’ Melissa Little took sixth.

Little, who was one of three city swimmers to be named as a first- or second-team all-state selection, placed sixth in the 200. Hemphill was named to the first-team while Jackson and Little were second-teamers.

Marlow finished 15th in the 100 breaststoke, while Julia Szabo and Megan Little finished 11th and 13th respectively in the 100 butterfly.

Both Lawrence and Free State had top-10 relay finishes. In addition to the Lions’ 400 free team, Lawrence’s 200 medley relay team of Hemphill, Marlow, Szabo and Beth Sheely finished eighth in 1:58. Free State’s Criswell, Jackson, Katelin Karlin and Brenna Graham took 10th in both the 200 and 400 free relays.

Still, it was Hemphill’s curtain call that was the meet’s top performance.

“It will be nice to see my name on the wall for record holders,” Hemphill said of her 50 free time of 24.61 and 100 mark of 52.99. “There was a lot of pressure on me to win these titles, and while I was confident, there’s always that little doubt.”

Now the only doubt is whether Hemphill will add to her accomplishments at the next level.

“I’m looking at just doing whatever I can do to help out,” Hemphill said. “All I know right now is that I’m really glad I decided to swim this year. It was worth it to go after my goals.”

Team results: Olathe East 284, Shawnee Mission East 200, Blue Valley North 191, Wichita Trinity 179, Manhattan 177, Blue Valley Northwest 164, Shawnee Mission Northwest 155, Lawrence 150, Overland Park Aquinas 140 1/2, Wichita Southeast 111, Derby 75, Salina Central 68, Free State 65, Wichita East 52, Shawnee Mission North 47, Great Bend 32, Hutchinson 29 1/2, Olathe North 29, Winfield 24, Topeka 17, Coffeyville 15, Wichita Independent 14, Newton 13, Blue Valley West 12, Leavenworth, Andover, Emporia, Shawnee Mission South and Washburn Rural 11, Shawnee Mission West 10, Olathe South 8.

Top Individual and City Results

200 medley relay – 1. Trinity, 1:49.17; 2. SM Northwest, 1:53.87; 3. Olathe East, 1:54.94; 4. BV Northwest, 1:55.20; 5. SM East, 1:55.91; 6. Wichita Southeast, 1:57.75; 7. Manhattan, 1:58.07; 8. Lawrence (Beth Sheely, Sarah Marlow, Julia Szabo, Andrea Hemphill), 1:58.80.

200 freestyle – 1. Lindsay Herre, OPA, 1:53.71; 2. Margot Newcomer, SME, 1:56.19; 3. Jill Courtney, OE, 1:57.75; 4. Ashley Jackson, FSHS, 1:59.82; 5. Jessica Hessel, WE, 2:00.09; 6. Melissa Little, LHS, 2:01.56; 7. Jenn Wolford, OE, 2:03.99; 8. Emily Knopp, WSE, 2:05.64; 9. Kelli Criswell, FSHS, 2:01.93.

200 IM 1. Caroline Bruce, WT, 2:06.02; 2. Abby Hoisington, BVN, 2:07.68; 3. Emilee Crawford, BVNW, 2:12.40; 4. Ashley Zastrow, BVN, 2:12.50; 5. Lindsay Vaughan, OPA, 2:13.69; 6. Lauren Neff, SMNW, 2:17.18; 7. Katie Klinkenborg, SME, 2:17.57; 8. Kelsey Perrine, WT, 2:17.88.

50 free – 1. Andrea Hemphill, LHS, 24.61; 2. Whitney Winslow, MHS, 25.19; 3. Katie Bigger, SMNW, 25.30; 4. Jenny Short, ON, 25.31; 5. Erin Mahoney, WSE, 25.41; 6. Vanessa Finch, OPA, 25.42; 7. Tiffany Phillips, Win., 25.63; 8. Ashley Leidigh, SMN, 25.65.

Diving – 1. Palmer OE, 456.65; 2. Williams, MHS, 427.40; 3. Drigans, OE, 414.15; 4. Hurlbutt, Coffeyville, 406.00; 5. Connley BVNW, 396.55; 6. UvIdich, BVNW, 393.35; 7. Lewis, BVNW, 382.30; 8. Bahner, MHS, 379.95.

100 butterfly – 1. Elizabeth Bruce, WT, 58.11; 2. Abby Hoisington, BVN, 58.87; 3. Katie Bigger, SMNW, 59.47; 4. Christie Fuchs, SME, 59.51; 5. Nicole Cirulis, OE, 1:00.11; 6. Katie Klinkenborg, SME, 1:00.59; 7. Tiffany Phillips, Win., 1:01.68; 8. Naseem Nikaeen, OE, 1:02.07; 11. Julia Szabo, LHS, 1:02.81; 13. Megan Little, LHS, 1:03.04.

100 free – 1. Andrea Hemphill, LHS, 52.99; 2. Whitney Winslow, MHS, 53.80; 3. Jessica Brozek, GB, 55.24; 4. (tie) Emily Chadwick, HHS, and Vanessa Finch, OPA, 55.44; 6. Jessica Hessel, WE, 55.45; 7. Jill Courtney, OE, 55.51; 8. Ashley Zastrow, BVN, 55.70.

500 free – 1. Lindsay Herre, OPA, 5:07.03; 2. Christie Fuchs, SME, 5:13.60; 3. Sarah Marlow, LHS, 5:15:08; 4. Madelin Crawford, BVNW, 5:17.69; 5. Ashley Jackson, FSHS, 5:17.70; 6. Melissa Little, LHS, 5:21.66; 7. Jenn Wolford, OE, 5:23.23; 8. Megan Hearn, OE, 5:26.07.

200 free relay – 1. BV North, 1:42.09; 2. Olathe East, 1:43.07; 3. SM East, 1:43.15; 4. Manhattan, 1:43.22; 5. W. Southeast, 1:44.90; 6. BV Northwest, 1:45.11; 7. Salina Central, 1:45.91; 8. SM North, 1:47.13; 10. (tie) Free State (Jackson, Katelin Karlin, Brenna Graham, Criswell) and W. East, 1:48.29; 14. Lawrence (Melissa Little, Megan Little, Szabo, Melissa Farve), 1:49.68.

100 backstroke – 1. Caroline Bruce, WT, 57.54; 2. Emilee Crawford, BVNW, 59.18; 3. Margot Newcomer, SME, 59.54; 4. Emily Chadwick, Hut., 1:00.44; 5. Jenny Short, ON, 1:02.19; 6. Stephanie Corry, SMNW, 1:02.62; 7. Jessica Brozek, GB, 1:03.44; 8. Megan Hahn, Derby, 1:03.62.

100 breaststroke – 1. Elizabeth Bruce, WT, 1:04.70; 2. Lauren Neff, SMNW, 1:08.38; 3. Erin Mahoney, WSE, 1:09.58; 4. Michelle Grigware, OE, 1:10.44; 5. Madline Crawford, BVNW, 1:10.47; 6. Marina Hartung, MHS, 1:10.55; 7. Lindsay Vaughan, OPA, 1:10.89; 8. Naseem Nikaeen, OE, 1:10.93; 15. Sarah Marlow, LHS, 1:13.73.

400 free relay – 1. BV North, 3:41.12; 2. Overland Park Aquinas, 3:42.82; 3. Trinity, 3:43.60; 4. SM East, 3:45.40; 5. Lawrence (Hemphill, Megan Little, Melissa Little, Marlow), 3:46.39; 6. Manhattan, 3:46.79; 7. Olathe East, 3:47.20; 8. SM Northwest, 3:47.94; 10. Free State (Jackson, Karlin, Graham, Criswell), 3:52.73.