Manhattan ? All year Lawrence High divers John Gatti and Nick Leet have pushed each other.

Gatti, a junior, and the sophomore Leet say they’re better because of their competitive practices at Knox Natatorium.

And both say that’s not going to change, even though the stakes at this weekend’s state swimming and diving championships are higher than at any point this season.

“If anything, we motivate each other more,” Gatti said.

Gatti currently leads the state diving competition at Kansas State University’s Natatorium with 224.15 points. Not far behind is Leet, fourth at 202.40.

“We just root for each other,” said Leet, who two weeks ago finished second to Gatti at the Sunflower League meet for the second straight season. “We might not talk to each other as much as we do in practice. We definitely gave some last-second hints during warm-ups.”

And how does LHS diving coach Ryan Adams feel about the pair’s current position before today’s 10 a.m. semifinals?

“They’re both on,” Adams said. “Personally, I think they are both doing better going into Saturday than they did last year. They’ll have a shot to go 2-3, maybe even win it. But Blue Valley West’s Nick Carr is really on. He has picked up a couple of new dives and is just ahead of everyone.”

Unlike the past five seasons, Blue Valley North isn’t ahead of everyone in the team race.

In fact, if the meet were scored based on Friday’s preliminary placings, the Mustangs would trail Wichita Southeast by four points.

Southeast holds a 262-258 advantage and is threatening to become the first school since LHS in 1997 or BV North, the champion the past five seasons, to win state. If Southeast pulls out the team title today, it would be the first Wichita-area school to win state since 1977.

Free State entered the meet with high hopes, but a frustrating day doomed the Firebirds’ chances.

“We’re a little disappointed with how we did,” FSHS coach Annette McDonald said.

The Firebirds seemed flustered from the start as their powerful 200-yard medley relay team didn’t even qualify for the championship finals and fell to ninth — the top consolation-final qualifying spot — with a time of 1 minute, 46.80 seconds.

“We lost our goggles, came out of the blocks high and just didn’t start well,” McDonald said. “We were very distraught with how we started.”

Free State did have some success.

Junior Alex Brunfeldt was top qualifier in the 500 freestyle in 4:45.10 and was the third qualifier in the 200 free in 1:48.43.

Anthony Portela was fifth in the 100 butterfly, while Chris Wolff was sixth in the 100 free.

The Firebirds’ 400-yard freestyle relay team of Brunfeldt, Wolff, Portella and Chris Sellon made up for that 200 medley relay disappointment with a third-place qualification.

“While things didn’t exactly go according to plan, they still are confident they can come back tomorrow and have a strong finish,” McDonald said.