Lawrence High's Alex Boyer, right, congratulates Washburn Rural swimmer Grant Rogers, left. Rogers edged Boyer in the 100-yard freestyle and, earlier, in the 200-yard individual medley at the LHS Invitational on Thursday at LHS. Washburn Rural took first at the meet; the Lions placed second.

Lawrence High's Matthias Reiber flips during the 1-meter diving event. Reiber took second to teammate Skyler Criswell on Thursday at the LHS Invitational.

There’s nothing like a dip in the pool to get the blood pumping when the temperature is in the 20’s with several inches of snow on the ground.

“It’s just one of those days you wake up and look outside and say, ‘This is a perfect day to go back to bed and have a snow day.’ But no,” Lawrence High swimmer Alex Boyer said. “It’s been a long day. Not very fun.”

With Lawrence High playing host to a six-team meet Thursday, Boyer and his fellow LHS swimmers had to bear the weather and take to the water at Carl Knox Natatorium.

LHS finished second with a total of 477.5. Lawrence was 31.5 points behind Washburn Rural, which won the meet with 509 points.

“I think a lot of people see the snow and even the teachers are saying, ‘Let’s have a snow day,'” LHS coach Kent McDonald said. “But we turned it over, and it was a home meet, so we were psyched up for it, and we really wanted to do well. And I think we did a really good job.”

The Lions won two of the 12 events. Zach Henderson’s time of 57.40 led the way in the 100 butterfly, and Skyler Criswell leapt into first in the 1-meter dive with a score of 235.50 – just ahead of teammate Matthias Reiber, whose score of 214.30 landed him in second.

Henderson came close to claiming another first-place finish in the 100 backstroke with a time of 59.47, but was 1.69 behind Topeka High’s Eric Sparks.

“He’s actually a member of my club team, so we’re used to racing against each other,” said Henderson, who swims with Sparks on the Lawrence Aquahawks. “I was a little bit ahead of him on the first 50, and then he caught me on the last part. But it’s fun to swim against him.”

Lawrence ended up with 12 other top-five finishers.

Boyer and Henderson were on the second-place 200 medley relay with Will Pendleton and Skylar Koerner and were a part of the 200 freestyle relay team with Pendleton and Andy Kriegh that also finished second.

“We did really well in the relays, and we improved,” Henderson said. “The effort was there, so I think we can definitely make state, in both relays, before we run out of time.”

The Lions have just two meets remaining, with their next coming at Topeka High on Tuesday before the Sunflower League meet in two weeks.

“We’re right there in the freestyle relay, with the right race and the right conditions,” McDonald said. “Of course it’s also going to take everybody swimming their best.”