Manhattan ? The second-ever state championship for Free State High won’t be another swimming and diving title like the FSHS boys claimed in February.

Despite high expectations heading into the first day of the state swimming and diving meet Friday at the Kansas State University Natatorium, several Firebirds didn’t live up to the lofty hype.

“I don’t know, maybe there was too much pressure,” said FSHS coach Jama Crady of her team, which had only four of its 14 individual competitors qualify for today’s championship finals.

“I think we can still improve on last year,” continued Crady, whose team finished eighth a year ago. “There were some good things that happened, but it wasn’t quite the day we were hoping for.”

The two-day meet will continue at 10 this morning with the diving semifinals, followed by the consolation and championship finals at 12:30 p.m.

While no team totals were calculated after the first day of competition, if results stayed the way they were Friday, Olathe East and Wichita Trinity would seem to be battling for the team title.

Trinity had a big day from its two Olympic Trial qualifiers in Caroline Bruce and Alison Soelter. Each qualified in all four of their events and helped two of Trinity’s three relay teams take top honors.

Bruce, who needs two individual titles today to tie the all-time state mark of eight titles, set two state records Friday.

Lawrence High coach Ryan Adams said his team was where he thought it would be Friday.

“It was about what I expected, most of the girls at their best times of the season,” said Adams, whose squad’s 200 medley relay team finished seventh in the preliminaries with a time of 1:58.94 to qualify for today’s championship finals.

Two more Lions — divers Ellie Lloyd and Meredith West — made it to the semifinals finishing 13th and 18th, respectively, in the preliminaries.

Current Free State individual state champs — Ashley Robinson and Ashley Jackson — came through for the Firebirds. Robinson won the 500 freestyle in 5:04.55, and Jackson took third in 5:17.29.

Robinson finished second in the butterfly in 5.96, and Jackson finished fifth in the 200 freestyle. The two also helped the Firebirds take the top time in the 400 freestyle relay.

Two other Firebird freshmen also found their way into the championship finals.

Lauren Pipkin was sixth in the 200 individual medley, and Katie Swank was sixth in the 100 freestyle. Swank also finished seventh in the 100 breaststroke.

Despite those accolades, Robinson echoed her coach’s sentiment of not quite swimming to the successful level the Firebirds had hoped for.

“I think a lot of the girls were nervous because it was a big meet, and we kind of buckled under pressure,” Robinson said. “A lot of people have room for improvement, and that’s motivating.”

Adams said even though the 200 medley relay team made the championship finals, he was pretty excited about his 200 freestyle team cracking the top 16 and earning a bid into the consolation heat.

“I’m really pumped up about what our 200 free team did today,” Adams said of Melissa Farve, Axah McCalla, Kristi Rudman, and Melissa Little.

“All they can go from here is up.”