Preps Notebook: Free State, Lawrence swimmers compete in last chance meet; golf and track and field teams compete in league invites

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence junior Ashlyn Tell swims the 500-yard freestyle in the Sunflower League girls swim meet at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Lenexa.

A few Free State and Lawrence swimmers competed in the Shawnee Mission last-chance meet on Wednesday in hopes of earning a qualifying or consideration time before the state championships.

Lawrence’s Ashlyn Tell was the only Lion to compete in the last-chance meet. She swam the 200-yard freestyle in 2 minutes, 9.76 seconds, which was a consideration time. Tell hit a qualifying time later in the 100-yard butterfly at 1:05.93.

Free State’s Maria Fuentes Sanchez swam the 50-yard freestyle in 29.28 seconds, which was two seconds shy of a consideration time, while Penelope All swam the same event in 29.57 seconds. Fellow Firebird Amelia Rockhold swam the 500-yard freestyle but came short of a consideration time.

Firebird Ashlyn Johnson swam the 100-yard backstroke in 1:11.73, which was three seconds away from a consideration time, and All swam the 100-yard backstroke in 1:17.21.

Free State and Lawrence must submit their teams and decide by Sunday which swimmers with qualifying or consideration times will swim in which events. The 6A state meet will begin on Thursday with diving prelims and semifinals. The swimming prelims will start next Friday, and the finals for both swim and dive will take place Saturday.

Free State golf takes fifth in Sunflower League golf meet, Lawrence places eighth

Free State and Lawrence golf teams concluded the third round of the Sunflower League golf meet on Thursday, and the Firebirds placed fifth with a 309 team score and two top-five finishers. The Lions took eighth with a 323 team score.

For the Firebirds, A.J. Kimzey placed fourth with a 74, while Henry Thompson took fifth after scoring a 75. Aiden Graff-Hannah shot a 78, which put him tied for 19th.

Preston Hosler finished with an 82, which was 42nd individually, and Cash Nelson shot an 84, which was 55th individually. Adam Hemker rounded out the Firebirds’ results with a 93, which put him 72nd in the meet.

For the Lions, Andrew Kirkwood led the team and tied for 14th individually after shooting a 77. Nate Schworm tied for 28th with a 79, and Lou Elsten tied for 47th with an 83.

Jonah Roman tied for 55th with an 84, and Corbin May-Bryant shot an 89, which tied for 66th. Aidan Wondrack placed 69th individually with a 91 score.

Free State will compete in its regional tournament at Topeka Country Club on Monday, while Lawrence will hold its regional tournament at Eagle Bend Golf Course on Tuesday.

Free State, Lawrence track and field teams compete in Sunflower League meet

The Free State and Lawrence track and field teams competed in the Sunflower League meet on Thursday.

For Free State girls, Cayman Barnes won the 3200-meter run at 11 minutes, 30.35 seconds. Beatrice Essman finished the 200-meter dash in 26.83 seconds.

Parker Jones finished sixth in the long jump at 17 feet, 3.5 inches, and Daisiana Douglas took eighth in the triple jump at 33 feet, 2.25 inches. Miley Ellis and Avery Voss tied for ninth at 4 feet, 8 inches in the high jump. In the pole vault, Jane Cast took ninth at 9 feet, 6 inches, while Vivenne Pro placed 10th at 8 feet, 6 inches.

Sadie Reynolds won the discus throw at 131 feet. Harper Graham took third in the javelin throw at 116 feet, 3 inches. Graham also placed fourth in the 300-meter hurdles at 47.73 seconds.

For the relay teams, the girls 4×100-meter relay finished eighth at 50.38 seconds. The 4×400-meter team placed seventh at 4:13.39, and the 4×800-meter relay team took third at 9:50.50. For the boys, the 4×100-meter relay finished fourth at 43.38 seconds, while the 4×400-meter relay took eighth at 3:33.44.

On the Free State boys side, Grant Lichauer placed fourth in the 800-meter run at 1:57.32. Logan Kimball took eighth in the 100-meter dash at 11.39 seconds. Josiah Smith finished 10th in the 100-meter dash at 11.46 seconds. Jasper Hansen Terry placed eighth in the 1600-meter run at 4:29.22.

Nathan Huerter came eighth in the high jump at 6 feet. Hudson Andrew finished seventh in the javelin throw at 161 feet, 9 inches.

For Lawrence, Harper Dye placed seventh in both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash.

Sienna Wesley finished as the runner-up in the long jump at 18 feet, 4.5 inches. Jaylen Parks, in the boys’ field events, was the runner-up in the long jump as well at 21 feet, 7.75 inches. Josephine Platt placed sixth in the triple jump at 35 feet, 2.75 inches, while Breahna Hernandez came in ninth in the event at 32 feet, 11.75 inches. Hadley Ornes finished ninth in the high jump at 4 feet, 8 inches.

LaKeyshia Woods placed fourth in the 400-meter dash at 1:00.38, and Aubrie Magnuson placed fourth in the javelin throw at 115 feet, 11 inches.

In the relay races, the 4×100-meter girls relay team took sixth at 50.01 seconds. The boys 4×800-meter relay placed sixth at 8:34.11, while the 4×400-meter relay took ninth at 3:35.15 and the 4×100-meter relay placed seventh at 44.05 seconds.

Riley Howell placed third in the 100-meter dash at 11.06 seconds. Oliver Schwartz finished fourth in the 3200-meter run at 9:57.20, and Leigham Alexander took eighth at 10:15.14. In the 300-meter hurdles, Murphy Nowak finished ninth in 43.13 seconds.

Tyler Dye took third in the javelin throw at 174 feet, five inches, while Isaiah Ferguson placed ninth at 160 feet. Kenyon Doleman finished seventh in the high jump at 6 feet, and Truth Pope placed seventh in the long jump at 21 feet, 2.5 inches.