photo by: Photo courtesy Free State High AD Amanda Faunce

The 2022 Free State High girls swimming and diving team poses with its state championship trophy after winning the school's third girls state swimming title on May 21, 2022 at the Shawnee Mission Aquatic Center.

The Free State Firebirds are once again champions of the Class 6A swimming world.

Behind the strength of a new state record and two new school records, Annette McDonald’s team won the school’s third state title on Saturday at the Shawnee Mission Aquatic Center. Free State finished first with 313 points, ahead of Shawnee Mission East and Blue Valley North, which finished second and third with 265 and 262 points, respectively.

The Firebirds started hot by setting a school and state record in the 200 medley relay in the first event at Saturday’s finals. Juniors Halle McCullough, Bradie Ward and Samantha Packard joined sophomore Liza Engelbrecht in delivering a blazing time of 1:45.29. That broke the old record of 1:45.87 previously set by former Firebirds Molly Albrecht, Reilly Moore, Chloe Portella and Morgan Flannigan in 2009.

On Friday, the Firebirds swam the second fastest time of the preliminaries but Saturday’s performance showed that they left a little extra in the tank for when it really counted.

McCullough later set a new school record by swimming a 1:05 flat in the 100 breaststroke. The time was good for third at state. McCullough was also the state runner up in the 200 IM (2:10.74) and FSHS’s Jocelyn Wilson took sixth (2:17.74).

Free State also bolstered its team score by a first-place finish by Ward in the 500 freestyle (5:03.69) and a runner-up finish by Packard in the 100 freestyle (52.12). Packard also took third in the 50 freestyle (24.24). Ward also claimed a second-place finish in the 200 freestyle (1:53.33), where sophomore Molly Nuckolls took seventh (1:59.56).

Free State’s 200 freestyle relay team of Nuckolls, Wilson, McCullough and sophomore Liza Engelbrecht brought home a bronze medal by placing third in 1:40.12.

Engelbrecht finished third in the 100 butterfly (59.08) and fourth in the 100 backstroke (59.9). Gao took seventh in the backstroke (1:02.13).

The Firebirds celebrated their latest state title by joining hands with McDonald and the rest of the FSHS coaching staff to take the customary plunge into the pool at the end of Saturday’s meet, clothes and all.

Saturday’s triumph put the 2022 team into the same category with McDonald’s 2009 and 2015 teams in finishing the season atop the podium.

“The team had a great day at prelims yesterday and that set us up for success today,” McDonald said after the meet. “We started out with the school record and moved up or maintained their places in each event. I’m so proud of these dedicated and talented athletes.”

Braden, Brandt lead Lions at state swim meet

Lawrence High senior Carmen Braden took fourth in the 500 freestyle (5:18.96) and eighth in the 200 freestyle (2:00.45) to pace the Lions to a 11th-place finish on Saturday.

LHS sophomore Emily Brandt took sixth in the 1-meter diving competition, with 357.90 points, to add to the day’s highlights for Lawrence High.

​​Firebirds claim nine regional titles

The Free State High track team delivered 25 state-qualifying marks for this week’s state meet in Wichita during the 6A regional hosted by Topeka High at Hummer Park on Thursday.

The night was highlighted by FSHS winning nine regional titles, eight by individuals and one by the boys 4×800 relay team.

Junior Aubrey Duncan finished first in the javelin with a throw of 138 feet, 3 inches; junior Reese Hulcher took first in the high jump by clearing 5 feet, 4 inches and senior Isa Evans continued her dominance in the pole vault by being the lone female competitor to clear 10 feet.

Sophomore Cooper Stone also won the boys pole vault in 13 feet, 6 inches, while senior Brian Lane bested the field by nearly 13 feet to win the javelin in 174 feet, 6 inches. Junior Michael Romito qualified by winning the 400-meter run in 50.78 seconds and senior distance runner Ben Shryock won both the 1,600 (4:28.72) and 3,200 (9:48.77).

Senior Jack Keathley-Helms (2:00.43) and sophomore Jake Hedges (2:00.95) joined him by finishing third and fourth, respectively in the 800.

The Free State boys also qualified three relay teams, with the 4×800 team winning a regional title in 8:16.15 and the 4×100 (43.12) and 4×400 (3:27.63) teams placing second.

Senior Tyler Gourley qualified in the shot put with a top throw of 47 feet, 0.75 inches that earned him third place. Senior Trevor Sidabutar took third in the 110-meter hurdles (15.65) to earn his trip to state.

Joining Stone in qualifying for state at the pole vault pit were senior Logan Schwab (12 feet) and junior Dylan Farrell (11-6) in third and fourth place, respectively.

On the girls side, freshman Cayman Barnes qualified for state with a third-place finish (2:31.17) in the 800, and freshman Brylee Burns joined her by placing third in the 1,600 in 5:35.89. Sophomore Isabelle Pro also earned a spot at state by placing fourth in the 3,200 in 11:50.27.

Junior Marrah Spriggs finished second in both the 100-meter hurdles (16.45) and 300-meter hurdles (47.89), and Free State will send two relay teams to state, after a third-place finish in the 4×400 relay (4:17.49) and a fourth-place finish in the 4×800 relay (10:07.56).

Senior Madison Base also finished fourth in the discus with a top throw of 101 feet, 5 inches.

Sixteen Lions headed to state track

On Friday night, it was LHS’s turn to punch its tickets to this week’s state meet in Wichita. With 16 athletes qualifying for next week’s state meet in 12 different events, the Lions did not disappoint.

LHS’s 4×100 meter relay team of Sam Sedo, Colin Sandefur, Avion Nelson and Zeric Avery placed fourth in 44.41 seconds to earn their spot at state.

Sandefur also earned a trip in the 200-meter dash by placing fourth in 23.21 seconds, and Nelson took second in both the long jump (22-5) and triple jump (44-8).

Senior Noah Smith set a personal record of 54 feet, 2 inches and finished second in the shot put. Junior Camdyn Johnson took fourth in the high jump by clearing 6 feet, 2 inches.

On the girls’ side, LHS placed fourth in the girls 4×800 relay with Destiny Savannah, Emma Roman Nose, Olivia Monroe and Natalie Kennedy finishing fourth in 10:02.17.

Senior Brenna Schwada took home third in the 200 with a time of 27.08 seconds, and also helped the Lions’ 4×400 relay team take fourth in 4:08.73. She was joined by Savannah, Harper Dye and Jaylie Hohman.

Schwada also took third in the long jump with a top try of 17 feet, 10.5 inches.

Sophomore Miri Pickman took fourth by clearing 4 feet, 10 inches in the high jump and senior Gianna Cooper took fourth in the triple jump in 35 feet, 9.5 inches.

That all-class state track meet is slated for Friday and Saturday at Wichita’s Cessna Stadium.