As the spring weather becomes more pleasant, don’t feel bad for the Lawrence High girls swimming and diving team.

The Lions may have to swim indoors, but considering how temperamental spring in Kansas can be, LHS coach Ryan Adams comforts himself with one thought.

“Any time I think about that, I think about the one cold day when the track people walk past,” he said. “Then it’s not so bad.”

His team doesn’t look so bad, either.

The Lions, who lost the state swimmer of the year in 2002 graduate Andrea Hemphill, have plenty of capable swimmers, which should help when it comes to smaller meets and duals.

“We have a lot of depth, so we’ll be a really good dual team,” Adams said. “Just because of numbers, we’ll probably be stronger during the regular season.”

Adams said the Lions, who qualified eight swimmers last season, don’t have any swimmers like Hemphill, but there are a dozen that could do well when regionals roll around.

Depending on those regional results, LHS could improve its number of qualifiers.

“I think that we have 12 girls that can make it on their own, and then we have the relays,” Adams said.

At the top of the list are seniors Sarah Marlow, a distance swimmer who will swim at West Virginia Wesleyan College next year, and Megan Little, whose best event in the 100 butterfly and will swim at University of Northern Iowa.

Adams said seniors Sarah Ball and Saime Milligan are both solid in “whatever event I need them,” while sophomores Melissa Little, who swims the 200 and 500 freestyle, and Julia Szabo, who swims the 100 butterfly and 200 IM, also should be solid.

Lawrence High swimmer Sarah Marlow, left, and Free State diver Laura Nelson are ready for the high school season.

And that’s just for starters.

On the whole, Adams likes everything about his squad, especially its work ethic. It’s made for a pleasant start to the season.

“We have a wide range of abilities and girls,” Adams said. “But what’s really nice abut this year is their dedication. We’ve had real good practices. I don’t have to yell at anyone to work harder.”

Free State

When it comes to the Firebirds’ outlook, coach Jama Crady doesn’t mince words.

“I’ll be honest. In dual meets, we’ll struggle,” she said of the team’s 22 swimmers. “Our depth isn’t going to be good at all.”

That said, FSHS might be as good or better than Lawrence High when it comes to quality.

Senior Lindsey Witthaus should be solid in the 200 and 500 freestyle, while sophomore Julie McGinn could qualify in the 100 free and 100 breaststroke.

A trio of juniors — Emmie Caplan and Katie Towner in the 100 free and 100 fly and Becki Young in the 50 and 100 free — will be counted on for consistency in individual events and in relays.

And freshmen Gracie Beaton, who swims the 100 free and 100 backstroke, and Kelsi Mishler, who will focus on the 200 IM, might be among the Firebirds’ strongest swimmers. But this is all conjecture at this point.

Crady, who was a Lawrence Aquahawks assistant coach when most of the girls started swimming, knows her team’s tendencies, but hasn’t been able to go through much at practice.

There have not been many of those.

“We had the first week where we couldn’t practice because of the weather, then we had the NAIA meet and then we had spring break,” Crady said. “We just haven’t been in the water much.

“But I know what they’re capable of. I’ve seen them grow up.”

Plus, FSHS is waiting on two of its best swimmers — sophomore Ashley Jackson and freshman Ashley Robinson — to start with the team. Both are competing at the Junior National Swimming Championships in Orlando, Fla., April 11-12, and practice with the Aquahawks until then.

Until then, Crady will tinker with her entries to find the strongest events and best relay combinations for her swimmers.

After all, FSHS has the talent, it’s just dependent on how it’s used.

“We’ll be strong, we just won’t have any depth,” Crady said.