Lawrence Aquahawk Cameron Case, 15, removes his swimming cap after competing in the Wave the Wheat Meet. The event kicked off Thursday with just one event, the 1,500, at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center.

With 568 swimmers from 32 teams, The Wave The Wheat Meet has a frenzied pace unmatched by any of the Lawrence Aquahawks’ home meets.

The meet’s first day Thursday, however, featured just one event, the grueling 1,500 freestyle at the Indoor Aquatic Center.

“It’s so nice to get it out of the way,” said Ashley Robinson, who finished in fourth place. “Everything else seems like nothing compared to the mile.”

One of the most noteworthy Aquahawks, Robinson earned all-state honors for Free State High from 2003 to 2006. She now swims the freestyle and individual medley for Kansas University and adjusted to the step up in competition, earning the team’s Newcomer of The Year honors.

“It’s a huge difference,” she said. “I train so much more, and I’m in such better shape than I ever have been.”

Another KU sophomore, Alicia Casillas, also swims for the Aquahawks. Casillas, who grew up in Merida, Spain, enrolled after the first semester last year.

“I wanted to study in America,” she said. “I’m very happy here. … It’s the best choice.”

Casillas won the 1,500 with a time of 17 minutes, 29.97 seconds while competing in the same heat as Robinson.

“I was really excited for her,” Robinson said. “It was really fun to have another freshman new person come and be a distance swimmer.”

¢After Cameron Case raced to first in the boys division with a personal best of 18:11.65, one would guess he thrives on the thrill of victory.

But he cites his favorite moments with the Aquahawks as the deep conversations that occur during the road trips to out-of-town destinations.

“We have lots of fun just being on the bus for eight hours,” he said.

Case particularly enjoyed the trip to Fort Collins, Colo., a few weeks ago, and that meet included a new challenge for him.

“We had to swim in altitude, which made it a lot harder,” Case said. “That was different.”

Case swam for Free State and the Aquahawks this year.

“Just (to) be involved in high school is a good thing,” he said. “It’s fun to meet people who you don’t really know, but you see them every day.”

The 15-year-old, though, has not decided if he will compete for the Firebirds during his sophomore year.

¢After finishing third in the 1,500 and setting a personal best of 18.09.38, Molly Albrecht had reason to smile.

But that grin looks different out of the water.

Albrecht, 16, lacks a front tooth but sports a retainer, concealing the gap. She, however, does not wear the retainer while swimming.

“It fell out once, and I started to choke on it,” she said.

A couple of years ago while playing with a sparkler and running with her dog, she tripped, fell on asphalt and lost the tooth.

“With all the little white pebbles, we couldn’t find it,” she said.

The Free State student has found success while swimming exclusively for the Aquahawks and relishes the team’s camaraderie.

“It’s like a community,” she said. “It’s really a team sport. Everybody cheers for each other, and when we get to big meets, it’s all about getting points. You want all those people to do well so your team wins.”

Although Thursday’s swim meet was exciting, Wednesday’s Independence Day celebration was subdued.

“Yeah, I don’t do fireworks any more,” she said. “It was just a sparkler, but I still don’t.”