Lawrence coach Steve Seratte talks with junior Karly Johnson during a game against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Tuesday, March 26 at LHS.

Lawrence High softball coach Steve Seratte is no stranger to being on the the third base line.

Despite making his debut as a varsity softball coach Tuesday night, Seratte brings plenty of crucial experience to the Lions. He spent the previous nine seasons as an assistant crosstown for Free State’s softball team.

“I’m a Lion from when I went back to school, so it has been an easy enough transition,” Seratte said.

In Seratte’s debut, Lawrence scored a late run but ultimately dropped a 6-1 decision at the hands of Shawnee Mission Northwest at LHS.

But the Lions have noticed a difference with Seratte at the helm, which is significant since the program has become familiar with adjusting to new coaches. Seratte is the third different varsity coach for LHS in four years.

“I think he’s been a good fit with the program,” senior Abby Monroe said. “We have adjusted well.”

Lawrence senior Jesse Cox sends a pitch during a game against Shawnee Mission Northwest at Lawrence High on Tuesday, March 26.

The promotion has been smooth one for Seratte, even though he’s handling more responsibility now. Seratte learned plenty as he got to serve under FSHS head coach Lee Ice over the last nine years. The Firebirds captured their first state title in program history just last season.

“There are a lot of things that he uses, that I utilize too,” Seratte said. “His organizational skill and his discipline are the things I really admire about him.”

Seratte has a good group of returning players to lean on during the transition process, however.

LHS has five starters back from last year’s team that went .500. Angelina Harjo was a second-team All-Sunflower League selection last season. Junior Karly Johnson was also named to the second team. Monroe and senior Sammy Williams, who both helped Lawrence volleyball win a state title last fall, are key returning starters as well.

“We don’t have a lot of varsity experience, and we have a couple (players) that are out right now,” Seratte said. “Once we get some people back healthy, I think that will make a difference for us.”

LHS travels to Shawnee Mission South at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Another first-place finish for LHS girls swim

For the second time in as many meets, the Lawrence High girls swim and dive team netted first place.

Less than a week after dominating the Emporia Invitational, Lawrence flexed its overwhelming talent at it home meet. LHS scored 516 points to finish first in a five-team meet by a convincing margin. Lansing, the runner-up, was over 200 points behind with a team score of 280.

The Lions won all but one of the 12 events in their first home meet of the year. Maddie Dean, Marian Frick, Emily Guo and Madi Heckman started things off with a first-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:55.

Lawrence swimmers (left to right) Megan Drumm, Maddie Dean and Emily Guo take off in the 100 butterfly on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at LHS.

Frick, Jamie Abernathy, Aubrey Fischer and Guo won the 200 freestyle relay with a mark of 1:46.15. Morgan Jones, Abernathy, Heckman and Fischer clinched the top spot in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:55.

Jones, who notched two individual victories last meet, matched that mark once again. Jones finished first in the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle. Guo claimed victories in the 200 intermediate medley and 100 butterfly. Heckman was victorious in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. Dean clinched a win in the 100 backstroke, while Frick finished first in the 100 breaststroke.

Lawrence will have a home meet with Shawnee Mission South at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

LAWRENCE HIGH INVITATIONAL

Team Scores: 1. Lawrence High, 516; 2. Lansing, 280.5; 3. De Soto, 216; 4. Piper, 201; 5. Shawnee Mission West, 127.5.

LHS results

200 yard medley relay: 1. Lawrence (Maddie Dean, Marian Frick, Emily Guo, Madi Heckman), 1:55; 3. Lawrence (Jillian Wilson, Ali Jones, Megan Drumm, Lillian Wilson-Lewis), 2:11; 6. Lawrence (Grace Shroyer, Mara Manoleseu, Lisa Yang, Emma-Frances Smith), x2:19; 11. Lawrence (Madison Kuhle, Ariann Myers-Arenth, Beth Brandt, Molly Daugherty), x2:30.

200 yard freestyle: 1. Morgan Jones, 2:04.81; 2. Iris Sherron, 2:13.22; 5. Emily Esparza, 2:46.78.

200 yard intermediate medley: 1. Emily Guo, 2:13.23; 2. Aubrey Fischer, 2:24.57; 3. Jillian Wilson, 2:35.91.

50 yard freestyle: 1. Madi Heckman, 25.74; 2. Jamie Abernathy, 26.78; 3. Megan Drumm, 27.14; 4. Marian Frick, x27.28; 5. Grace Shroyer, x28.03; 8. Lillian Derby, x29.68; 10. Ella Williams, x30.21.

Diving: 3. Eden Kingery, 209.60; 11. Nancy Mai, 89.45.

100 yard butterfly: 1. Emily Guo, 1:00.81; 2. Maddie Dean, 1:05.22; 4. Megan Drumm, 1:15.05.

100 yard freestyle: 1. Madi Heckman, 56.90; 2. Aubrey Fischer, 57.64; 3. Jamie Abernathy, 58.61; 8. Lisa Yang, x1:09.15; 12. Ella Williams, x1:12.47.

500 yard freestyle: 1. Morgan Jones, 5:29; 2. Ali Jones, 5:50; 4. Jillian Wilson 6:11.

200 yard freestyle relay: 1. Lawrence (Marian Frick, Jamie Abernathy, Aubrey Fischer, Emily Guo), 1:46.16; 2. Lawrence (Iris Sherron, Grace Shroyer, Morgan Jones, Megan Drumm), 1:54.17; 8. Lawrence (Lillian Wilson-Lewis, Anna Marburger, Emily Esparza, Emma-Frances Smith).

100 yard backstroke: 1. Maddie Dean, 1:04.65; 2. Ali Jones, 1:06.24; 3. Iris Sherron, 1:06.83.

100 yard breaststroke: 1. Marian Frick, 1:10.82; 3. Mara Manoleseu, 1:23.32; 4. Anna Marburger, 1:26.56.

400 freestyle relay: 1. Lawrence (Morgan Jones, Jamie Abernathy, Madi Heckman, Aubrey Fischer), 3:55; 2. Lawrence (Grace Shroyer, Iris Sherron, Ali Jones, Maddie Dean); 6. Lawrence (Jillian Wilson, Molly Daugherty, Emily Esparza, Lillian Derby)

FSHS and LHS girls soccer fall in home opener

Both city soccer teams suffered narrow losses in their respective home openers Tuesday night.

Lawrence, which took down Topeka High in a road win last Friday, was handed an 1-0 defeat by Mill Valley at LHS. Free State, meanwhile, dropped a 3-1 decision to Blue Valley North. Madison Beeley scored the lone goal for the Firebirds via a corner kick at the 23 minute mark.

Lawrence midfielder Riley Unekis (right) fights for a header with a Mill Valley forward during a game at LHS on Tuesday, March 26.

LHS (1-1) will play host to Shawnee Mission East at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, while FSHS (0-2) will play host to Manhattan at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

FSHS baseball wins thrilling league opener, LHS falls on road

It took 11 innings, but Free State got the job done in its first Sunflower League action.

Free State took down Shawnee Mission East for a 2-1 win to improve to 3-2 on the year. The Firebirds are now rolling, as they have won three games in a row since dropping their first two contests in Missouri over spring break.

Mitchell Clark, who led the Firebirds with two hits, brought in the game-winning run on a walk in the bottom of the 11th. Peyton Spark drove in Free State’s first run with a hit in the bottom of the fourth. Jake Baker also tallied one of the four hits by the Firebirds in the win.

David Stuart got the starting nod, allowing one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. Ethan Bradford and Michael Uhler then kept Shawnee Mission East off the scoreboard for the remainder of the night.

Free State junior Creighton Cordova checks his swing in a game against Sioux Falls Washington on March 22 at Free State High School.

LHS, meanwhile, was on the other end of a hard-fought battle with its league foe during an eventual 7-6 loss at Gardner-Edgerton. The Lions (2-2) scored three runs in the sixth to even the score after facing an early deficit. Payton Cummins had two RBIs, while Preston Harris notched two hits.

Lawrence plays host to Olathe West at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, while Free State travels to Shawnee Mission Northwest at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

City golf teams begin 2019 season

Both Free State and Lawrence High boys golf were in action Monday afternoon at the Shawnee Mission Northwest Invitational.

FSHS posted the best finish of the two city teams, carding a 335 overall score to finish seventh. Lawrence came in 14th with a 441, while Shawnee Mission East won the event with a 299. Olathe East shot a 302 to take second, and Olathe Northwest placed third with a 315.

Senior Landon Berquist paced the Firebirds in their first meet of the season. He shot a 75 to take seventh on the individual leaderboard. Senior Ross Brungardt led the Lions with an 83 on the day.

Both teams will be in action at 1 p.m. Monday at the Oakwood Country Club.