For four years in a row, Free State High has captured the boys 3,200-meter relay at the state track and field meet.

That may or may not be a state record, but coach Steve Heffernan said he almost was positive a fifth straight gold medal in the event would be a state benchmark.

“I can’t imagine there would be many teams who would even have a shot at four in a row,” said Heffernan, whose teams will head to Lincoln, Neb., today for their season-opening meet on the Nebraska Wesleyan University campus.

“To be sure, I’d have to go back and scour through some of Timmy’s old history books,” said Heffernan, referring to former Kansas University coach Bob Timmons. “There might have been a few freshmen who all came in at the same time and did it, but I think five would be unprecedented.”

The Firebirds should have a pretty good shot too, because only one runner — graduated Nick Squier — is gone from last year’s 4×800 gold-medal relay. That leaves seniors Danny Schneider and Alex Rock and junior Spencer Martin and a handful of other Free State runners at the top of the relay competition.

“I think the thing that’s probably the neatest is that we’ve been able to do this with about a dozen or so different guys,” Schneider said. “Also, our reserve guys never really get the credit they deserve, because they are the ones pushing us all the way through the season. Any of them are capable of coming in and being just as fast, too.”

While Free State has the opportunity to make history, first-year Lawrence High coach Scott Stidham helped make history when he was a senior at LHS in 1989. That was the first year the Lions won the state championship under coach Bill Freeman. Stidham, a track aide the last nine years, took over when Jerry Skakal retired after last season.

“The next year Bob Lisher replaced Freeman and won the title again,” Stidham said. “Then in 1997 when Skakal replaced Lisher, he won it all. So no pressure, right? It’s bad enough just trying to measure up to the tradition we have here, then those terms put everything in a whole new light.”

Stidham’s first squad should be competitive.

City track standouts, clockwise from left, Free State's Ryan Rastok, Lawrence High's Chelsey Ornburn and Ramin Zangeneh and the Firebirds' Robyn Lee will lead their respective squads this spring. The Lions' season began Thursday, and the Firebirds open today in Lincoln, Neb.

“Right now on paper, we’re a middle-of-the-road team and not good enough to win state,” he said. “It’s hard to look at all those banners in our gym and not think in terms of a state title. We have a lot of talented kids, and maybe if our leaders can replicate the success they had last season and everything snowballs the right way, then you never know.”

The Lions opened their season Thursday at the Topeka West Relays.

While both of the city’s individual state champions — Lawrence’s Sylvester Birdsong, who won the long jump, and Free State’s Sam Frisbie, who snagged her second straight gold medal in the high jump — graduated, several state placers return. Here’s a quick look at both school’s top returners:

• Free State’s girls had their best finish at state with a fourth last year, but Firebirds lost five scorers from that squad. Junior Alysha Valencia finished fifth in 3,200 despite a bout of bronchitis. At one point junior Emma Brook had the state’s best high jump last year. Heffernan said sophomore Kelsey Harrison also could break through in the hurdles and sprints.
• Lawrence High’s Chelsey Ornburn proved she was a gamer at state last year. The senior bounced back from a bad fall the week before state where she broke her nose and had two black eyes, to finish second with a personal-best leap of 10-6.

“I was pretty scared all week long and kept jumping real bad, but as soon as competition began I just started jumping really well again,” Ornburn said. “I think a lot of it was coach Skakal retiring, which motivated me even more.”

In addition to Ornburn, senior Laura Windheuser also qualified for state in the pole vault but couldn’t compete because of other obligations.

Senior Erin Kramer returns after qualifying in the discus last year. Junior Amy Magnuson finished second in the 100-meter hurdles, and seniors Abby Schwartz and Cara Austin lead a 4×400 team that made it to state.

• For the Lion boys, junior thrower Scott Penny should have a shot at two state titles. Penny took fourth in the shot put and fifth in the discus as a sophomore. Nathan Hickey qualified for state in the triple jump while Nolan Kellerman made it on the 4×400 team. Junior Brendon Halpin barely missed out on qualifying in the pole vault.
• Not only should Free State’s distance relay team be solid, but some sprinters could score. Christian Ballard, the Murphy twins — Ryan and Brian — and Austin Winn provide needed speed in the 400 relay. Two-time state qualifier Ryan Rastock provides another addition to Heffernan’s team.