Firebirds 3rd, Lions 9th at state swimming

Free State senior Jordan Portela reaches in to hug FSHS swim and dive coach Annette McDonald after learning that she was named the Class 6A Coach of the Year. Portela won the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly to lead the Firebirds to a third-place finish.

? As soon as Free State senior Jordan Portela came above water, he glanced at the scoreboard and then smacked the water with his fist.

His animated response — just moments after his final race of his high school career — was not out of frustration, however, despite it being his only non-first place finish of the afternoon. Portela saw that the first-place time, set by Shawnee Mission East, was a state record in the 400 freestyle relay. And his relay team was two seconds shy of the crown.

“That was excitement, all excitement,” Portela said. “I knew Sam DiSette from Blue Valley North was trying to chase me down. My splits, I was super happy with. I felt like it was a great race at the end, and I couldn’t be more happy.”

For the last three years, Portela has dominated the state swim meet and his final showing was no different. The three-time Athlete of the Meet came away with three golds and one silver.

Portela’s performance led the Firebirds to their third straight third-place finish as a team at Capitol Federal Natatorium. With his three titles Saturday, Portela ended his illustrious career with a total of 11 state titles.

“Jordan is phenomenal, I can’t say enough about what a great athlete and a great person he is,” FSHS coach Annette McDonald. “It was very special to see him win both his events. He’s just a natural athlete and a born winner.”

He began the afternoon with a victory in the 200 medley relay, along with junior Evan Eskilson, senior Evan Yoder and senior Corey Schultz-Bever. The quartet posted a time of 1:35.24, which was over a second faster than the next closest team.

Moments later, Portela leaped back into the pool and sealed another first-place finish in the 200 free (1:39.01).

Portela did break a state record, albeit his own, later in the day. In the 100 butterfly, Portela’s time of 48.66 was almost a full second faster than his record-setting swim in last season’s meet. And though the top of the podium had become almost a second home to him – he was a perfect 8-for-8 in individual events over his four years – Portela found himself getting emotional toward the end. “I was trying to hold in the crying on the podium,” Portela said. “Seeing all my teammates and just how well they did this season was great.”

Yoder, who will join Portela in the pools at Minnesota at the collegiate level, was the only other Free State swimmer to clinch a state title. After finishing second last year, Yoder narrowly edged Tarrin Fisher of Washburn Rural in the 200 individual medley. He also notched second in the 100 breast.

Three other Free State athletes earned at least one podium finish. Eskilson placed fourth in the 100 free and fifth in the 100 back, while Schultz-Bever took seventh in the 100 back. Senior Chad Bourdon sealed a bronze in diving.

The collective team efforts earned McDonald some hardware as well. She was voted Coach of the Year by her peers, and naturally deflected the recognition.

“I got coach of the year because of the boys,” McDonald said. “I feel like we have come together as a team. You can see our team dynamics. We are supporting each other and helping each other get ready for their events. Because we are so team oriented, that’s why I was nominated.”

LHS places ninth

Junior Stephen Johnson claimed four podium-worthy finishes to pace Lawrence High to a ninth-place finish at state.

In fact, Johnson’s efforts were good enough to earn himself first-team all-state honors on Saturday, despite not winning an event.

“I did pretty good,” Johnson said. “I had high hopes for first but that’s what you are supposed to do. Me not getting those goals isn’t necessarily me not getting what I want. I’m very happy.”

Johnson was the closest swimmer to Portela in the 200 free. His second-place time of 1:41.91 was good enough to break his own school record, which he set earlier this season.

Afterward, Johnson credited Portela for pushing him to his limits during his career. Though after finishing fourth in the event last season and second this year, he will be excited for a chance at a gold with Portela no longer around.

“I’m losing Jordan Portela as a competition so I’m going for a win next year,” Johnson said. “Seeing him on the other team it’s a very big motivator. It helps everyone around him, even if they are not on his team.”

For the second straight year, Johnson placed fourth in the 500 freestyle. He anchored the 5th-place relay team — Alex Heckman, Jared Miller, Patrick Oblon — in the 200 freestyle relay.

Heckman took fifth in the 50 freestyle (21.76) as well as the 100 freestyle (48.02).

Class 6A State meet

Saturday at Topeka

Team scores: SM East 394.50, BV North 282, Free State 243, Wichita East 227, Olathe East 154, BV Northwest 147, Washburn Rural 136, BV West 126, Lawrence 111, SM South 102, Olathe NW 86, Olathe South 82, Manhattan 64, Blue Valley 42, Wichita SE 26, Wichita North 24, SM West 24, SM North 20, Wichita West 15.50, Wichita NW 6, SM Northwest 6, Campus 5.

Champion, city results

200 medley relay – 1. Free State (Evan Eskilson, Evan Yoder, Jordan Portela, Corey Schultz-Bever) 1:35.24.

200 freestyle – 1. Portela, FS, 1:39.01; 2. Stephen Johnson, LHS, 1:41.91.

200 individual medley – 1. Yoder, FS, 1:53.31.

50 freestyle – 1. Sam DiSette, BV North, 20.09; 5. Alex Heckman, LHS, 21.76; 12. Aidan Goertz, FS, 22.71; 16. Patrick Oblon, LHS, 23.35.

Diving – 1. John Tran, BV Northwest, 440.75; 3. Chad Bourdon, FS, 4:10.40; 20. Skylar Eklund, FS, 240.10.

100 butterfly – 1. Portela, FS, 48.66.

100 freestyle – 1. DiSette, BV North, 44.15; 4. Eskilson, FS, 47.95; 5. Heckman, LHS, 48.02; Goertz, FS, 49.83.

500 freestyle – 1. Park, BV West, 4:39.78; 4. Johnson, LHS, 4:45.53.

200 freestyle relay – 1. BV North (Mitch Fisher, Owen Stamper, Levi Johnson, Sam DiSette) 1:25.47; 5. Lawrence (Alex Heckman, Jared Miller, Patrick Oblon, Stephen Johnson) 1:31.40; 7. Free State (Aidan Goertz, Sydney Lin, C. Dean Stuart, Corey Schultz-Bever) 1:33.77.

100 backstroke – 1. Ian Longan, SM East, 52.31; 5. Eskilson, FS, 53.55.

100 breaststroke – 1. Tarrin Fisher, Washburn Rural, 57.19; 2. Yoder, FS, 58.09; 7. Schultz-Bever, FS, 1:01.88.

400 freestyle relay – 1. SM East (Evan Root, Ian Longan, Aidan Holbrook, Hayden Linscott) 3:08.04; 2. Free State (Evan Eskilson, Aidan Goertz, Evan Yoder, Jordan Portela) 3:10.49; 8. Lawrence (Patrick Oblon, Jakob Busch, Alex Heckman, Stephen Johnson) 3:22.41.

All-State

First team

Jordan Portela, FS; Sam DiSette, BV North; Evan Yoder, FS; Tarrin Fisher, Washburn Rural; Jonah Park, BV West; Ian Longan, SM East; Hayden Linscott, SM East; Evan Root, SM East; Preston Harrison, Manhattan; Aidan Holbrook, SM East; Stephen Johnson, LHS; Hugh McPherson, Wichita East. Diver: John Tson, BV Northwest.

Second team

Mitch Fisher, BV North; Evan Eskilson, FS; Alex Thill, BV Northwest; Alex Heckman, LHS; Jake Gartenberg, OE; Tyler Cunningham, SM East; Logan McMonigle, BV North; Max Stoneking, Olathe South; Ian Hulshof, BV North; Austin Lee, Olathe East; Matthew Randle, Wichita East; Alec Lebeda. Diver: Kyle Furhman.

Coach of the year:

Annette McDonald, Free State.

Swimmer of the meet:

Sam DiSette, BV North.