Free State High girls swimming coach Annette McDonald praised freshman Morgan Flannigan for her versatility in the pool following the finals Saturday at the Sunflower League Championships in Olathe.

Flannigan won the 500-yard freestyle, the 200 freestyle and swam a leg on the victorious 200-yard medley relay to help the Firebirds to a second-place team finish in the 12-team event.

“She’s mainly a freestyler but can do all her strokes very well,” McDonald said. “She’s willing to do whatever event we ask. There aren’t many people who jump up and say, ‘I’ll do the 500.'”

¢ Twice as nice: During Friday’s swimming preliminaries, the Free State foursome of Katie Swank, Flannigan, Heather Clark and Katie Sloan set a school record in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1 minute, 53.66 seconds. However, while a school best, it wasn’t the top mark of the day, as the Firebirds trailed Shawnee Mission East.

The quartet remedied the situation less than 24 hours later in Saturday’s finals, clocking 1:52.30 for a new school record and the gold medal.

¢ A lasting impact?: Although Lawrence High did not advance a boys tennis player past the first round of Friday’s Class 6A regional at the Lawrence Tennis Center, LHS coach Steve Hudson praised the leadership of senior Anthony Frei on his tender-aged team.

“He’s had a relentlessly positive attitude the entire season,” Hudson said. “In spite of not having a winning record, he’s approached every match with a good attitude and excitement and energy. That’s rubbed off on the younger guys.”

Such guidance could pay off next year when the Lions return six of their top seven players.

¢ No failure to communicate: The Free State boys doubles team of Jack Hull and Charlie Moffett, which finished second in regional play, advanced to state for the second year in a row because of not just talent, but also synchronization on the court.

Hull and Moffett have relied on communication between one another to execute an I-formation. Hull, who stands in the middle of the court in front of the serving Moffett, gives his partner a directional signal.

“Depending on where I told him I was going, he’d put the ball there,” Hull said. “We got a lot of easy points off that.”

¢ The right stuff: Sophomore Dorian Green already has earned a permanent spot in the starting pitching rotation for the Lawrence High baseball team, but the LHS coaching staff said the lanky pitcher has the potential to become a star.

“He’s got some really good stuff and some really good poise,” LHS coach Brad Stoll said. “He’s going to be a good one. We’ve got a lot of confidence in that kid.”

¢ A prized souvenir: Free State High senior Aleese Kopf was able to retrieve the ball she slugged for her first home run of the season last week against Lawrence High.

The grand slam put Free State ahead, 10-0.

“I might get my team to sign it for memories, since this is my last year at Free State,” Kopf said.