Drew Vogel wanted a fast start, but this was a little too much.

The Lawrence High sophomore opened up an early lead in the 1,600-meter run at Wednesday’s LHS quadrangular, but when that turned out to be too fast, Vogel slowed up.

“I went out a little fast,” he said. “I heard my 200 split and decided it was a good idea to slow it down a bit.”

Once he did that, he fell back into third place, 20 meters behind the Blue Valley West runner.

By the start of the final lap, Vogel had closed it, then got an opening along the inside lane — which rarely happens late in a race.

“There was a little bit of space, so I tip-toed the inside lane,” he said. “It worked out, though.”

Things didn’t work out as well for the Lions in the team standings, as LHS boys’ and girls’ squads both finished second, behind Blue Valley West. Topeka High and Topeka West were well behind both schools in points.

It wasn’t a huge deal, though. Wednesday’s “Little KU” meet was what LHS coach Jerry Skakal called a half-varsity meet.

With most of the Lions’ top athletes — along with the other three school’s — preparing for the Kansas Relays Friday and Saturday, the Lions’ home quad allowed any athlete that didn’t qualify for the relays to run in a meet this week.

Lawrence High's Tim Giblin competes in the shot put. The Lions finished second in their quad Wednesday at Lawrence High.

“I think a lot of the teams that come use it as half-varsity points, or something like that. That’s what we do,” Skakal said. “That’s one of the reasons we do this.”

Besides, it also gave several athletes, like Vogel, a chance to win an event they normally might not.

The LHS boys had individual winners in senior Michael Hicks (discus), Vogel (1,600 and 3,200) and senior Twynnin Brown (shot put).

Lawrence’s girls had titlests in sophomore Lacey Elmore (100 hurdles and 300 hurdles), senior Barbara Reliford (discus and shot put) and senior Shari Lassiter (long jump), who was one of the few athletes competing that also will be running in the relays.

It paid off for Lassiter, too. She set a personal best in the long jump by nearly a foot, leaping 14-feet-5.

Sounds like Vogel wasn’t the only one with a big move.