photo by: Carter Gaskins

Free State pitcher Maddox Burkitt (18) winds up for a pitch during a game against Brandon Valley Friday afternoon at FSHS on March 26, 2021.

Free State’s baseball team, which won a league title two years ago, began Sunflower League play with a 9-3 road loss to Shawnee Mission West on Tuesday night.

The Firebirds committed four errors, and they gave up at least one run in every inning but one. Shawnee Mission West scored two runs in the first, two in the third, two in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Maddox Burkitt, who got the start for FSHS, allowed two earned runs on three hits over 3 2/3 innings. He struck out two batters and walked five. He also was one of four Free State players to finish with a hit.

Ben Stallard and Brady Kern each posted a double for the Firebirds. Gage Callaghan drove in a run on a base knock. Joey Wood was also credited with one RBI.

Free State (3-2, 0-1 Sunflower League) will host Shawnee Mission North at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

FSHS 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 — 3 runs 4 hits 4 errors

SMW 2 0 2 2 2 1 X — 9 runs 6 hits 1 error

LHS girls swim wins home meet

Lawrence High’s girls swim and dive team won nine events on its way to a convincing team victory on Tuesday in its first home meet of 2021.

The Lions scored 451 points as a team to finish in first in the five-team meet. They bested the runner-up by over 100 points and won all but three events.

Senior Madi Heckman won two individual events: the 50 freestyle, with a time of 25.76, and the 100 freestyle, with a 57.09.

Sophomore Abi Jones won the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:18.50, and senior Aubrey Fischer placed first in the 200 IM with a 2:22.13. Junior Carmen Braden took first in the 500 freestyle with a 5:21.94, and junior Ali Jones won the 100 breaststroke in 1:14.71.

LHS will be back in action on Thursday at the Shawnee Mission Aquatic Center.

Lawrence High invitational

Tuesday at LHS

Team scores: 1. Lawrence 451; 2. Lansing 313; 3. De Soto 263; 4. Piper 207; 5. Emporia 38.

Free State girls soccer earns 3-2 win in opener

Free State’s girls soccer team opened the season with a 3-2 road victory over Hayden on Monday — the Firebirds’ first game under new head coach Nathan Mangold.

Shelby Roberts scored the game-winning goal, and Maddie Powell and Aspen Wilson were responsible for the other two scores.

Free State will host Shawnee Mission South at 7 p.m. Thursday.

FSHS boys golf finishes fifth; LHS places 12th

Both local boys golf teams were in action at the Shawnee Mission West Invitational on Monday at Canyon Farms in Lenexa.

Free State finished fifth as a team with a total score of 376. Lawrence High took 12th out of as many teams with a score of 441. Olathe West won the event with a score of 341.

Freshman Jack Randall led the Firebirds in his debut, shooting an 87 to finish in a tie for seventh on the individual leaderboard. FSHS seniors Reese Gray (94) and Jackson McMillan (95) placed 21st and 23rd, respectively.

Lawrence was led by freshman Gunnar Wayenberg, who finished inside the top 30. He shot 99 to finish in a tie for 29th place.

LHS will be back in action at Swope Park Memorial Golf Course at 1 p.m. Wednesday, and Free State will return on April 8 for a tournament at the Wamego Country Club.

SM West Invitational

Monday at Canyon Farms

Team scores: 1. Olathe West 341; 2. SM East 346; 3. Olathe NW 359; 4. Olathe South 371; 5. Free State 376; 6. Olathe East 384; 7. Olathe North 406; 8. Mill Valley 413; 9 SM Northwest 420; 10. SM South 421; 11. SM West 424; 12. Lawrence 441.

FSHS results: T7. Jack Randall, fr., 87; 21. Reese Gray, sr., 94; T23. Jackson McMillan, sr., 95; 33. Nate Pilakowski, sr., 100; 46. Cameron Packard, sr., 105; T57. Dawson Pfannenstiel, jr., 115.

LHS results: T29. Gunnar Wayenberg, fr., 99; T50. Mike Williams, sr., 111; 57. Dallas Ostronic, so., 115; 61. Austin Pennybaker, sr., 116; T68. Aidan Zimney, jr., 126; 71. Evan Liakos, sr., 128.

FSHS girls swim finishes as runner-up

Free State’s girls swim and dive team took second in a triangular at California Trail Middle School on Monday. The Firebirds scored 145 points as a team; Shawnee Mission East won the event with 244 points.

Free State’s Lolly Hindmann was responsible for the only event victory of the day, placing first in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:00.66. She also took second in the 100 backstroke with a 1:03.54.

In the first event of the day, Hindmann joined Abbey Hossler, Mina Khosh and Silvia Liu for a second-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay. They posted a time of 2:02.44. The four swimmers also closed out the meet with a runner-up finish in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 4:14.57.

Emma Day (200 freestyle), Nisa Kay Khosh (500 freestyle) and Liu (200 IM) each took third in their individual events, as well.

FSHS will travel to Blue Valley Southwest at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Monday’s triangular at California Trail Middle School

Team standings: 1. SM East 244; 2. Free State 145; 3. Olathe East 140.

FSHS results

200-yard medley relay: 2. Free State (Abbey Hossler, Mina Khosh, Lolly Hindmann, Silvia Liu) 2:02.44.

200 freestyle: 3. Emma Day, FS, 2:14.15; 7. Nisa Kay Khosh, FS, 2:20.20; 8. Savannah Randall, FS, 2:33.66; 11. Allison Cindrell, FS, 2:47.76.

200 IM: 3. Silvia Liu, FS, 2:35.53; 4. Molly Nuckolls, FS, 2:36.36; 8. Karsyn Robertson, FS, 2:54.33.

50 freestyle: 6. Abby Hossler, FS, 29.16; 14. Alayna Baker, FS, 30.29; 16. Nethni Weerasekara, FS, 31.74; 18. Rorie Sturgeon, FS, 33.63; 20. Anna Hayden, FS, 35.90.

Diving: 4. Audrey Hoey-Kummerow, FS, 162.55; 6. Tori Corckett, FS, 153.20; 8. Josephine Warrior, FS, 146.40; 10. Maya Huang, FS, 139.50.

100 butterfly 1. Lolly Hindmann, FS, 1:00.66; 4. Molly Nuckolls, FS, 1:13.08; 6. Karsyn Robertson, FS, 1:22.68.

100 freestyle: 7. Mina Khosh, FS, 1:04.93; 13. Nethni Weerasekara, FS, 1:11.54; 14. Rorie Sturgeon, FS, 1:13.37.

500 freestyle: 3. Nisa Kay Khosh, FS, 5:59.55; 6. Savannah Randall, FS, 6:46.57.

200 freestyle relay: 4. Free State (Silvia Liu, Abbey Hossler, Alayna Baker, Mina Khosh) 1:54.76.

100 backstroke: 2. Lolly Hindmann, FS, 1:03.54; 4. Emma Day, FS, 1:09.16; 12. Allison Cindrell, FS, 1:26.93.

100 breaststroke: 5. Mina Khosh, FS, 1:20.42; 8. Saliva Liu, FS, 1:21.24; 12. Alayna Baker, FS, 1:38.13.

400 freestyle relay: 2. Free State (Abbey Hossler, Karsyn Robertson, Emma Day, Lolly Hindmann), 4:14.57.