A quiet sports dynasty has emerged within city limits, and this weekend it could add even more to its overwhelming success.

The latest version of city sports juggernauts — and there have been plenty over the years in Lawrence — is on the Free State track and field team. The boys 4×800 relay, to be exact.

This weekend, the heralded relay team is going for state title number four — in a row.

“This year, there’s a little bit more pressure,” FSHS coach Steve Heffernan said. “We don’t have the luxury of having the best 800 runner in the state anchoring our team.”

Maybe not, but the quartet of Nick Squier, Danny Schneider, Alex Rock and Spencer Martin still can move around the track better than most. Even without Adrian Ludwig, last year’s 800-meter champion and the anchor on the Firebirds’ 4×800 team, Free State once again is among the favorites to take home first place in the event Saturday.

“Our biggest competition right now is St. Thomas Aquinas,” said Squier, a transfer from Hays. “Their last leg has run a 1:52, which is one of the fastest times in the nation right now. Coming into the last leg, we need to have a pretty big lead on him.”

The perennially powerful relay team is just one of several events that Free State and Lawrence High are looking forward to.

Free State’s Samantha Frisbie looks to defend her 6A high jump state title from a year ago at 9:45 this morning. Her leap of 5-foot-7 at the regional meet in Topeka last week was the best jump in the state this year.

Other contenders include Free State’s Lauren Abney (javelin), Alysha Valencia (1,600; 3,200) and Lawrence High’s Amy Magnuson (100 hurdles).

Magnuson won the regional title last week, after returning from an injury that kept her out of the Sunflower League meet.

6Sports video: Lawrence High track team goes to State

“She has an outside shot at being a state champ,” LHS coach Jerry Skakal said. “As a sophomore, that’d be a pretty good feat for her.”

Lawrence High, in all, will take 26 competitors this weekend for nine individual events and four relays. Free State, with 12 individuals and four relays, will have about 21 athletes making the trip.

Cessna Stadium at Wichita State will play host to the meet, which, as always, has all classes competing in the same location.

It makes for a pretty packed — and pretty hectic — weekend.

“You can’t really tell them what it’s like,” Skakal said. “But if you go down with the right attitude and right focus, you’ll be OK. We’ve prepared three months for this meet.”

This will be Skakal’s last meet as the Lawrence High track coach. He already announced his intentions to retire, and will move across state line to teach and coach at Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North this fall.

Are the Lions gung-ho about winning one for Skakal?

“Not really,” Skakal said with a laugh. “Win one for Lawrence High. That’ll be enough for me.”

The meet start at 8 a.m. today with eight different field events.