Firebirds dominate home triangular

Another home swim meet, another Free State High record broken — or three.

The Firebirds dominated Tuesday’s triangular at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center, outscoring Blue Valley West by 76 points and Blue Valley by 111.

FSHS won all 10 swim events and set three school records in winning its third straight meet. The Firebirds have broken 10 records in those meets.

More impressively, FSHS coach Annette McDonald switched 10 of her swimmers to different events.

“It’s kind of fun,” McDonald said. “All the guys have been swimming in different events. In fact, when I posted it, some of them were like, ‘I’m swimming the what?'”

Junior Chris Wolff wasn’t worried when switched to the 100-yard backstroke. Normally a short-distance freestyler, Wolff knew he could earn a fast time. He promptly set the school record — in his first time in the event this season.

“I don’t swim that event very much,” Wolff said. “But I was confident going in that my time would be close to or better than it.”

His 1:00.02 broke Joey Van Saun’s 1998 record by more than three seconds, and it was the first individual record Wolff broke this year. He also shares marks in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.

“It’s interesting,” McDonald said. “He’s been working on his fly, but he came out really strong. In fact, we got all the guys to swim something different than they normally would.”

Junior Alex Brunfeldt won the 200 IM in his first time, swimming a state-qualifying 2:03.48 — .3 seconds off the school record — and sophomore Chris Sellon won the 200 free in a state-qualifying 1:54.31.

free state high swimmer chris sellon competes in the 100-yard breaststroke. The Firebirds played host to a triangular on Tuesday at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center.

Understandably, sophomore standout Anthony Portela didn’t switch events. He set school records in the 50 free and 100 free, breaking his own 50 record by .13 seconds and Van Saun’s 2000 record by .71 seconds.

Yet, it wasn’t just those four that helped Free State swamp the triangular.

FSHS went 1-2 in the 200 free relay and took first and third in the 400 free relay. The Firebirds had at least two of the top five placers in five events and took three of the top four places in the 100 fly, with Wolff (first), senior Ian Rombough (second) and junior Derek Nye (fourth).

The changes will help the Firebirds on Thursday in the Topeka quadrangular against Lawrence, Topeka High and Topeka West, but it’s unclear how many switches will be permanent.

Despite setting a school record, Wolff, who also swam on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relays, wasn’t sure if he’d continue to swim the backstroke.

“When I was younger, I used to be pretty good at the back,” Wolff said. “But I kind of grew out of it.”

If Tuesday is an indication, he’s grown back into it.