Free State’s Brunfeldt wins 400-freestyle crown

? Free State High’s Alex Brunfeldt wore a sweatshirt and his usual smile Saturday after the Kansas state swimming and diving meet at Kansas State Natatorium.

It was hard to tell he’d just become a state champion.

The other story lines — Wichita Southeast’s last-race victory, Lawrence High divers John Gatti and Nick Leet each placing in the top four and the Firebirds’ best-ever fifth-place finish — nearly topped the Free State junior’s big day.

But no Firebird ever had won an individual title until Brunfeldt’s 500-yard freestyle time of 4:41.55.

“It’s pretty special,” Brunfeldt said. “But next year, we might have a top-three team — maybe even a chance to win it all.”

Gatti, who earned a second-place finish after earning 492.60 points, became the city’s highest-placing diver since David Jacob won the title at LHS during the mid-1990s. Leet also posted a personal best, finishing fourth with 443.70 points.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a meet where both of them nailed every single dive,” LHS diving coach Ryan Adams said.

A team other than Blue Valley North took home the team trophy for the first time since LHS won in 1997.

Wichita Southeast led the Mustangs by three points going into the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, where the Buffaloes posted a time of 3:15.53 that beat the Mustangs’ 3:17.98 mark and secured first place with 263 points.

BV North had 254 in second place, followed by a tie for third between BV Northwest and Olathe East at 174. Free State followed in fifth with 150 points, and Lawrence’s two divers earned 32 points — good for 22nd place.

Free State, which struggled at the start of Friday’s preliminaries, came out smoking Saturday. The Firebirds’ 200 medley relay team of Brunfeldt, Chris Wolff, Anthony Portela and Chris Sellon, which missed qualifying for the finals heat by a second, easily took ninth place.

Brunfeldt, who was selected a first-team all-state swimmer, also took third in the 200-yard freestyle.

Sellon, who with Wolff was nominated honorable mention all-state, finished ninth in the 200-yard individual medley. Wolff, who snagged seventh in the 100 free, finished ninth in the 50 free, and Portela finished 10th.

Portela, a second-team all-stater, finished fourth with a time of 55.55 in the 100 butterfly.

The Firebirds ended the day emphatically, when their top four swimmers took third in the 400 free relay.

“Sometimes when you start out the way we did, that motivates you to do even more,” FSHS coach Annette McDonald said. “For us to come back here today and swim with the determination we did was truly special.”

But Brunfeldt was quick to point out the Firebirds aren’t finished.

“We’re young. We have everyone coming back,” he said with a smile. “We might have a shot next season.”