The Free State girls swim and dive team flew past nine other schools for a first-place finish at the Topeka High Invitational last week.

Opening the meet with a first-place finish, the Firebirds’ 200-yard medley relay team – seniors Lolly Hindman, Halle McCullough, Samantha Packard and sophomore Jocelyn Wilson – took the gold with a final time of 1:55:75.

Free State picked up another gold medal in the 200-yard freestyle relay – junior Liza Engelbrecht, Packard, sophomore Gayla Gao and senior Bradie Ward – finishing with a time of 1:42.66, nearly seven seconds ahead of Washburn Rural.

Individually, Engelbrecht placed first in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly; Packard placed second in the 50-yard freestyle and first in the 100-yard breaststroke; Silvio Liu placed second in the 100-yard freestyle; and McCullough placed first in the 100-yard backstroke.

The Firebirds won the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, on a 3:48:96 finish by Engelbrecht, McCullough, Wilson and Ward.

Free State hosts its invite on Tuesday at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center starting at 3:30 p.m.

LHS girls swimming places second at Lawrence triangular

The Lawrence High girls swim and dive team placed second at its triangular with Shawnee Mission South and Turner last week.

LHS placed second in the first event, the 200-yard medley relay, with a 2:16:81 finish by senior Abi Jones, senior Lulu Myers-Arenth, junior Isabel Klish and senior Macie McDermott. The 400-yard freestyle relay team – freshman Violet Meinershagen, sophomore Sophia McLaughlin, senior Ragan Mauldin and Klish – placed second at 5:02:39. The relay team of Myers-Arenth, Klish, McDermott, and junior Paige Unekis took second in the 200-yard freeystyle relay.

Individually, Jones placed first in the 200-yard freestyle; junior Sophie Wirth placed second in the 1-meter dive; Unekis placed first in the 500-yard freestyle; and Myers-Arenth placed first in the 100-yard breaststroke.

LHS resumes action at the Free State Invitational on Tuesday at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center starting at 3:30 a.m.

Olathe West sweeps Free State in softball doubleheader

The Free State softball team dropped both games of its doubleheader with Olathe West on Saturday. The Lady Firebirds (2-4) dropped its first contest 2-7 and the second 2-8 to the Owls.

In game one, Free State junior starter Elsa Carrillo allowed four runs on four hits and three walks through three innings pitched. Junior reliever Grace Rothwell took over mound duties in the fourth, allowing three runs on four hits, one walk and three strikeouts.

Free State, scoring all two runs in the sixth inning of game one, logged five total hits by junior Megan Kohl (3-for-3, RBI), senior Leah Mueller (1-for-3), and junior Aly Richardson (1-for-3).

Rothwell, getting the start in game two, allowed six runs on 10 hits, one walk and one strikeout through five innings pitched. Kohl, relieving Rothwell in the sixth, allowed two runs on two hits, one walk and one strikeout through just one inning on the hill. 

Scoring runs in the first and third innings of game two, Mueller batted 3-for-4 (2 RBI), senior Alena Velilla finished 2-for-4, and Rothwell finished 1-for-3 at the plate.

Free State hosts Shawnee Mission South on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

LHS softball upended by Olathe North

An eight-run second inning doomed the Lawrence High softball team on Saturday at Olathe North, as the Eagles rolled to a 12-2 victory at home.

Freshman starter Sophie Rowley pitched just one inning for the Lady Lions (4-3), allowing six runs on a single hit and three walks. Stepping in for Rowley in the second, senior Maelee Folks allowed six more runs on nine hits and two walks through 3.2 innings pitched.

Held to just two hits, both coming from senior Emme Dye (2-for-2, 1 BB), LHS scored just twice, crossing baserunners home in the first and third innings. After a one-run inning for the Eagles in the fifth, the game was called as a mercy rule.

LHS hosts Olathe Northwest on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

LHS tennis grabs second at Seaman quad

The Lawrence High tennis team rode an eight-win performance to a second-place finish in a quad tournament at Topeka-Seaman last Wednesday.

In singles, freshman Jack Bauch went 2-1 defeating Seaman’s Gavin Dutton and Topeka West’s Mark Cianciarulo. Senior Oliver Rubenstein also finished 2-1 in singles, defeating Seaman’s Mason Pfeifer and Topeka West’s Peyton Collette.

LHS’s doubles team of sophomore Asher Sikes and junior Logan Daniels defeated Seaman’s Logan Townsend and Ethan Winters. Seniors Henry Adams and Abe Roman also took down Seaman, besting Connor Scheier and Noah Andrews.

In round three, Adams and Roman defeated Topeka West’s, Josiah Bidwell and Mason Rutledge.

LHS travels to Gardner Edgerton on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Randall places fourth in the first round of Sunflower League Golf Tourney

Free State junior Jack Randall placed fourth individually in the first round of the Sunflower League tournament on Monday at Sunflower Hills Golf Course in Bonner Springs. The Firebirds placed sixth overall (324) and Lawrence High finished 10th with a season-best team score of 339, landing just below Shawnee Mission North by two strokes.

Backing Randall for Free State, freshman Hank Thompson tied for 32nd shooting an 82; freshman Cash Nelson tied for 37th shooting an 84; sophomore Adam Hemker placed 39th shooting an 85; sophomore Aiden Graf-Hannah tied for 44th carding an 86; and senior Jackson Lintecum tied for 55th shooting an 88.

On the LHS side, junior Gunnar Wayenberg tied for 29th carding an 81; sophomore Nate Schworm finished 34th with an 83; freshman Andrew Kirkwood tied for 39th shooting an 85; senior Jack Elsten tied for 60th with 90; senior Dallas Ostronic tied for 66th shooting 93; and senior Macade Lewis tied for 71st with 94.

The tournament will resume on next Monday, April 17, at Falcon Ridge Golf Course in Olathe.