photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Jocelyn Wilson, left, encourages Free State senior Aidyn Guy during the final stretch of the 500-yard freestyle during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

Lenexa — The Free State and Lawrence girls swim teams concluded the preliminary races of the three-day Sunflower League tournament on Friday.

Both teams will return to the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Saturday for the final round of swim and dive events.

The preliminary and semifinal diving rounds had taken place on Thursday. Free State junior Taylor Andrew placed 21st after scoring 124.75 points. She finished one spot shy of reaching the semifinals.

Friday’s swim events started with the 200-yard medley relay. Free State’s top team finished second by finishing in one minute, 55.38 seconds. The top Lawrence team finished at 2:22.16, which was the 12th in the meet.

Two Firebirds finished in the top 15 in the 200-yard freestyle, with senior Aidyn Guy leading the team by placing 14th in 2:13.45. Freshman Dylan Tenbrick finished 15th in 2:14.76. Lawrence senior Channing Saint Onge took 24th in 2:24.02, which led the four Lions in the event. All three qualified for the finals.

In the 200-yard individual medley, sophomore Firebird Helena Mattes placed fifth at 2:13.95. Lawrence junior Ashlyn Tell took 11th in the event at 2:25.09, and her senior teammate Ava Kohart placed 17th at 2:39.87. Free State junior Ashlyn Johnson made the top 20 at 19th with a 2:48.27 time. Lawrence freshman Isabella Paniagua swam it in 2:53.31 for 22nd. She dropped her time by over seven seconds, which was the largest drop in the event. Johnson, Kohart, Paniagua, Tell and Mattes qualified for the finals.

Free State senior Kendall Dobski led the local swimmers in the 50-yard freestyle with a 28.67-second time, which was 28th in the meet. Lawrence senior Harper Jay took 32nd at 28.88 seconds, and Free State freshman Maria Fuentes Sanchez placed 35th in 29.03 seconds. Firebird freshmen Penelope All and Sophia Anderson took 41st in 30.07 seconds and 42nd in 30.86 seconds, respectively. Lawrence senior Alexa Nauholz finished in 31.51 seconds, with sophomore Lion Wren Jay finishing in 31.61 and sophomore Lion Keira Wells swimming in 36.35 seconds.

Gayla Gao, a Free State senior, took fourth in the 100-yard fly with a 1:00.49 time. Nauholz finished 20th in 1:34.11, and Lawrence freshman Elizabeth Hite took 21st at 1:41.46. Those three all qualified for the finals on Saturday. In the 100-yard freestyle, Free State senior Jocelyn Wilson placed third at 55.03 seconds. Fuentes Sanchez finished in 1:06.68 for 34th, Lawrence senior Channing Morse placed 41st at 1:09.82 and Wren Jay swam in 1:13.65 for 44th. Wilson was the only swimmer in the group to qualify for the finals.

Tell led the local swimmers in the 500-yard freestyle by swimming in 5:47.35, which was eighth. Guy took 10th in the event with a 5:55.79 time. Tenbrick placed 16th at 6:10.66, and Free State junior Amelia Rockhold placed 23rd at 6:25.63. Saint Onge was 25th in 6:31.24, with Lawrence senior Sophia McLaughlin placing 27th at 7:03.38 and junior Lion Anna Gordon-Ross finishing 28th with a 7:10.96 swim. Rockhold, Guy, Tenbrick and Tell qualified for the finals.

In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the Lions’ top team dropped over seven seconds to take 10th in 1:51.20, which put the Lions just inside the state qualifying time. The Firebirds’ top team took 11th at 1:54.36.

Wilson finished fourth in the 100-yard backstroke with a 1:01.74 time, and Gao took fifth at 1:03.02. Johnson was the third Firebird, as she finished 15th in 1:11.93. Lawrence junior Violet Meinershagen placed 23rd in 1:16.86, with All taking 24th at 1:17.35 and Paniagua finishing 28th at 1:20.58. Meinershagen, All, Johnson and Gao all qualified for Saturday’s finals race.

For the 100-yard breaststroke, Mattes was the runner-up in 1:09.22. Kohart placed 14th at 1:20.25, with LHS senior Bebel Piepergerdes taking 29th at 1:34.32 and Wells finishing 32nd at 1:43.42. Kohart and Mattes qualified for the finals.

The second day of the meet ended with the 400-yard freestyle. Free State’s top team took fifth at 3:53.46, while Lawrence’s team dropped over 13 seconds to place eighth in 4:09.42.

The final day of the Sunflower League meet will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Sophia McLaughlin swims the 200-yard freestyle during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State freshman Dylan Tenbrick swims the 200-yard freestyle during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence freshman Isabella Paniagua swims the 200-yard individual medley during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence junior Ashlyn Tell swims the 200-yard individual medley during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Gayla Gao swims the 100-yard fly during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Channing Morse swims the 100-yard freestyle during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Jocelyn Wilson swims the 100-yard freestyle during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence junior Anna Gordon-Ross swims the 500-yard freestyle during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Channing Saint Onge swims the 500-yard freestyle during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence junior Violet Meinershagen swims the 100-yard backstroke during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Keira Wells swims the 100-yard breaststroke during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Aidyn Guy swims the 500-yard freestyle during the Sunflower League tournament at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Lenexa.