Free State High continued to make its mark on the Kansas sports scene with standout teams and athletes.

The girls tennis team finished second at state, losing only because of a tie-breaker, while the football and boys basketball team each posted program-best 5-0 starts.

The baseball team stood out, though, with its 13-0 start and No. 1 ranking for all but two weeks of the season.

The boys track team notched two state championships — from its 4×800-meter relay team and senior Adrian Ludwig — while junior Sam Frisbie won the girls high jump.

Throw in state champion swimmers in senior Alex Brunfeldt (500-yard freestyle), sophomore Ashley Jackson (200) and freshman Ashley Robinson (500), and it was one of the best years in the school’s six-year history.

Need more? Read the recap of the 2002-03 school year.

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Football: The Firebirds’ 5-0 start marked the best in the program’s history. They finished 7-3 and earned a second straight trip to the state playoffs. Senior quarterback Matt Berner broke the school record for season and career passing yards, while seniors Bijai Jones (wide receiver) and Matt Lane (defensive end) were named All-Sunflower League.

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Volleyball: FSHS finished 14-20 and advanced to the sub-state finals.

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Cross country: The girls won regionals, placed second at league and were fifth at state. Freshman Alysha Valencia was second at league, won regionals and was fifth at state. The boys were fourth at league, second at regionals and ninth at state. Senior Hiral Bhakta was third at league and eighth at state, while Ludwig was fifth at league.

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Girls tennis: Senior Emily Wang won league, regional and state titles at No. 1 singles and finished with a 24-2 record, while seniors Emily Loewen and Lacey Luina claimed league, regional and state crowns. The Firebirds tied with Blue Valley North for the team state title, but finished second because the Mustangs had more qualifiers.

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Girls golf: Senior Ashley Johnson was the Firebirds’ lone state qualifier.

Free State athletes, from left, Jayme Lisher, Matt Lane, Keith Wooden, Adrian Ludwig and Emily Wang, made a mark for the Firebirds during the 2002-2003 school year.

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Boys soccer: Ranked among the state’s top teams most of the season, FSHS was 9-7-2, including a 3-1 regional win against Lawrence High. Goalkeeper Justin Howell signed with Division II powerhouse Tampa University.

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Gymnastics: The Firebirds were seventh at league, but junior Lacey Baxter was the lone state qualifier. She placed sixth in beam.

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Boys basketball: FSHS won the Emporia Tournament on its way to a school-best 5-0 start and swept the season series against Lawrence High. Paced by all-league and Arizona State University-bound forward Keith Wooden, the Firebirds finished 15-7, the most wins in the program’s history.

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Girls basketball: The Firebirds went 4-17 in Bryan Duncan’s first year as coach.

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Wrestling: FSHS won the first league title in the program’s history. Junior Brett Shoffner was the state runner-up at 152-pounds, in addition to a league title. Seniors Kyle Frank (171) and Nick McGovern (189) and junior Matt Somers (125) also claimed league crowns.

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Boys swimming: FSHS was third at league, as junior Brunfeldt and Chris Wolff and sophomores Anthony Portela and Chris Sellon combined for seven titles. The Firebirds were fifth at state, with Brunfeldt claiming the 500-yard freestyle crown.

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Girls soccer: The Firebirds rallied to beat LHS, 2-1, but ended the season with a 4-0 loss to Manhattan in the regional opener. Seniors Meredith Mayo and Rebekah Berkeley earned All-State honors for the 6-22 Firebirds.

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Boys tennis: Seniors Ben Cropp, Eyad Safadi and Matt Schwabauer were the Firebirds’ first state qualifiers since 2000. FSHS was third at league and second at regionals.

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Boys golf: Senior Aaron Webber was the only state qualifier.

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Girls swimming: Jackson (200 freestyle) and Robinson (500 free) each won state titles and earned All-State honors for FSHS, which was eighth at state. Jackson swept the 200 and 500 at league, while Robinson won the 200 IM.

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Baseball: A 13-0 start — and a No. 1 ranking for all but two weeks of the season — propelled the Firebirds into the spotlight. They finished 18-4 with a share of the league crown and their first trip to the state tournament. Lane broke the school record for wins in a season, while Ryne Price, Robby Price and Berner all hit over .400.

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Softball: FSHS finished 5-16 and lost to Manhattan in the regional opener. The Firebirds split the season series with LHS.

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Track: The girls won league and regional titles, paced by league champs Lauren Abney (javelin), Frisbie (high jump), Valencia (3,200) and the 4×800 relay team. The boys were third at league and fourth at regionals. Ludwig (800 and 1,600) and senior Stanley Redwine (triple jump) snagged league titles. The girls finished sixth at state; the boys 10th.

Frisbie became the school’s second-ever girls champ, while Ludwig (800) and the boys 4×800 relay team roared to state championships.