The Lawrence High girls swimming team soundly defeated Shawnee Mission South during a home dual meet Friday afternoon, but more importantly, the squad returned to work mode following its March vacation.

“We had to get over spring break a little bit. You can kind of see the tans,” LHS coach Kent McDonald said. “It takes a week or two to get back into the swing of things. Our meet on Tuesday – we did OK, but we were just a little bit off.”

One week after the school’s break – a period during which the team did not hold formal practices – LHS looked back in form, winning the home meet, 118-67.

Senior Chelsea Dirks-Ham bolstered that total, finishing first in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard backstroke. She had previously qualified for state in the backstroke, but her time of 2 minutes, 14.92 seconds in the IM during Friday’s meet will allow her to also swim at state in that event.

“She’s kind of taken over the lane,” McDonald said. “She’s got great technique and she can keep going.”

Dirks-Ham will race at state for the first time since her freshman season. She spent the last two years competing exclusively for the Lawrence Aquahawks before deciding to swim with her LHS classmates during her final year of high school.

“It’s my senior year,” Dirks-Ham said. “I wanted to come out and support my team and swim with my friends.”

She started strong during the IM with a powerful butterfly and continued that tempo with the backstroke to post a significant lead. That margin allowed her to compensate for her third and least effective stroke – the breaststroke – before hitting the freestyle for the last 50 yards.

Freshman Elle Weber also impressed during the meet. She finished first with a time of 1:14.59 during the 100-yard breaststroke, an event in which she had previously qualified for state.

“My 100 breaststroke is always my best event,” Weber said.

Weber, Dirks-Ham, Jessica Boyer and Marianne Klovning posted a 1:48.27 while finishing first in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

“Our main goal today was to get to state in the 200 freestyle relay,” Weber said. “And we did.”

Junior Mallory West also will dive at state after posting a score of 229.8, nearly fifty points above the required 180-point total necessary to reach state. A standout gymnast, she displayed the same kind of acrobatic skill on the one-meter board.

West qualified for state last year, but reconstructive ankle surgery prevented her from participating. Seeking redemption, she has practiced in determined fashion.

“She’s constantly thinking about what it takes to do better,” McDonald said. “She works really hard. She stays late. She starts early.”

The swimming and diving teams attributed some of their success Friday to the home crowd at the LHS pool.

“The home pool atmosphere … and knowing the crowd was here – that helped,” Dirks-Ham said.

And with spring break in the rearview mirror, LHS can look forward to the year’s ultimate competition.

“Right now we’re working through the meets,” McDonald said. “But our goal … is to get as many people as we can to state.”