Despite breaking six school records and a league record in Friday’s preliminaries, Free State High’s boys swimming team probably won’t win the Sunflower League title today.

But that’s OK with FSHS coach Annette McDonald. She already has everything she wanted from the two-day meet at Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center.

“We had three guys that were so close (to qualifying for finals),” she said. “But they all swam so well, how can you be upset? We can be excited for that.”

The Firebirds claimed six of the fastest and three of the second-fastest preliminary times, qualifying 10 swimmers and two relay teams for today’s finals. But Shawnee Mission East qualified twice as many swimmers and three relay teams.

Diving finals begin at 9 this morning, but when swimming finals begin at 1 p.m., the Lancers will be in the driver’s seat for the team title.

At this rate, the Firebirds will have to settle for a bunch of second- and third-place finishes.

“My top guys did well, didn’t they?” McDonald said. “And they kept saying, ‘I’m not gonna go all out.'”

Lawrence High qualified three swimmers for the finals, but only junior David Abreu will be in the fast heat. He’ll be in the 100 backstroke finals, along with FSHS sophomore Chris Sellon.

Abreu also qualified for the 200 individual medley, and junior Ian Legler will swim in the 100 breaststroke.

Abreu, a transfer student from Brazil who is swimming in his first league meet, said he was pumped for the finals.

“You have reasons to be,” Abreu said. “You’re swimming against very good people and you want that. You want to swim against the best competition.”

Free State High junior Alex Brunfeldt accelerates past the competition in his 200 freestyle heat. Brunfeldt took second place in a time of 1:47.28 Friday at the Sunflower League meet in the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center.

Instead of having prelims and finals on the same day, today’s times could be as fast as Friday’s considering competitors get more time to recuperate.

And with league titles on the line, a full night’s sleep could be a huge benefit.

“It is a big difference,” LHS coach Alicia Jackson said. “They get to sleep in. You don’t have to worry about getting up early or taking a bus ride; relax and come tomorrow rested.”

FSHS sophomore Anthony Portela, who had the fastest times in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly — breaking his school record in the latter — said there’s no secret to swimming well after an evening of prelims. If anything, he’ll be more excited for the finals.

“You just gotta get some sleep and eat the right stuff,” Portela said. “The crowd’s loud, everybody’s going crazy. It’s a lot of fun.”

Overconfidence shouldn’t be a factor despite the Firebirds’ fast times.

“It’s possible,” McDonald said. “But my top guys have more experience than everybody else. I don’t think they’ll have a problem.”

But guys like FSHS junior Alex Brunfeldt always are confident, right?

Free State's Chris Sellon comes up for air during the 200-yard individual medley at the Sunflower League meet. Sellon finished second during Friday's preliminaries at Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center. The meet continues today.

“Not really,” Brunfeldt said. “I still have a little bit of butterflies in my stomach now.”

That’s hard to believe. Brunfeldt smashed his school record and the league mark in the 500 free, clocking a time of 4:40.61. He also broke the school mark in the 200 free, but finished second in prelims.

Junior Chris Wolff has the top time entering the 100 free finals, and he’ll join Brunfeldt, Sellon and Portela on the top-seeded 200 free relay team.

Despite SM East’s assault on the team championship, the Firebirds still could sweep nearly every individual title — and that could be something to see.

“It’ll still be exciting,” McDonald said. “And we still could place in the top three. … We’re a very young team. You can say, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to win?’ But, that’s the ultimate goal. We’re OK with where we are.”