photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State's Ewan Campbell swims the 100-yard backstroke in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

On senior night, the Free State swim and dive team won its home quad against Manhattan, Washburn Rural and Lawrence.

The Firebirds have a small senior class this season, but the four-man class of Ewan Campbell, Owen Carnagey, Nathan Friedman and Hank Walter have helped lead the team to an impressive season. The four have swam together for years, giving them a close bond that helps the entire team have fun together.

“They know each other super well, they know when to back off, give space,” Free State coach Janna Skinner said. “It helps model how to be supportive to their other teammates.”

As one of those seniors, Campbell is hoping to close his competitive swimming career on a high note with swimmers he’s spent years alongside.

“I’m trying to do as much as a can when it comes to the sport,” Campbell said. “I’m trying to hopefully score points at state, hopefully get top-eight at leagues and push myself to the limit before it’s all over.”

When it came to the meet itself, Skinner was pleased with how her team built off a strong showing last Friday at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center with another good performance at home at a slower pool.

“Mentally it really helps our guys know that those times at SMAC were not a fluke, that we’re making those gains and we’re ready to approach championship season,” Skinner said. “…Practices get long. It’s hard to stay focused on the end goal when practices seem similar. But they’re starting to see what we’re doing in practice makes a difference.”

The Firebirds scored 429 points, beating out second-place Manhattan by 103 points. Washburn Rural placed third with 289 points, and Lawrence took fourth with 266 points.

The meet started with diving, with Lawrence and Free State both having two divers compete. Cale Ward from Lawrence won the event with 223.30 points, which is a state qualifying score. Free State’s Gavin McIntosh took second with 203.65 points, and Lawrence’s Liam Meyers finished third with 164.65 points. Firebird Constantine Shipley placed fourth at 163.80 points.

As for the swimming events, the meet began with the 200-yard medley relay, which the Free State team of Campbell, Graysen Koonce, Sam Bauch and Eli Kempf won with a state qualifying time of 1 minute, 49.13 seconds. Manhattan came second, while the Lions’ top team of Armando Romero-Perez, Mateo Klish, Alex Oral and Lawson Donly placed third at 1:56.78.

Carnagey won the 200-yard freestyle at 1:59.33, with Campbell taking third at 2:09.51. Fellow Firebird Ruan Strydom took fifth at 2:24.30, and Lawrence’s Aiden Bierschbach led his team in the event with a 2:24.74 time that put him sixth. Firebird Owen Metz took seventh at 2:27.57, and Lion Thurston Saint Onge placed eighth at 2:32.14.

Bauch won the 200-yard individual medley with a 2:11.43 time. Lawrence’s Junu McCall finished fourth in the race at 2:38.32, while Firebirds Ethan Lynch and Jason Song placed fifth and sixth, respectively.

Bateman won the 50-yard freestyle for Free State with a 22.80-second time. His was one of two qualifying times in the race at the meet. Oral led the Lions in the event with a consideration time of 23.90 seconds, which was fourth overall. Kempf placed sixth at 25.01 seconds, while Donly came eighth at 25.31 seconds and fellow Lion Garrett Rhea took ninth at 25.64 seconds. Free State’s Walter finished 11th at 26.42 seconds, and Klish placed 12th at 26.52 seconds.

After a break, the meet returned with the 100-yard butterfly. Free State’s Gavin Koonce finished third at 1:10.06, while Lawrence’s Logan Kohart took fifth at 1:17.85. Bierschbach swam it in 1:25.81, which was seventh.

Bateman picked up his second win in the 100-yard freestyle at 50.34 seconds. His was the only state qualifying time in the meet at the event. Carnagey placed third at 53.15 seconds, and Lawrence’s Alex Velasco-Crates took 12th at 1:07.35.

Donly finished third in the 500-yard freestyle at 5:42.07, while Rhea placed fifth at 6:38.83. Metz took sixth at 6:44.70, and Kohart came seventh at 7:08.64. Firebirds Weston Graber and Carter Braden finished ninth and 10th, respectively.

The Firebirds’ top relay team of Bateman, Kempf, Graysen Koonce and Carnagey won the 200-yard freestyle relay at 1:38.39, which was a consideration time. Lawrence’s top team of Oral, Klish, Rhea and Donly also had a consideration time at 1:41.29, which was second at the meet.

In the 100-yard backstroke, Campbell placed second with a consideration time of 1:00.28. Romero-Perez led the Lions with a seventh-place finish at 1:11.44, and Firebirds Lynch and Cooper Trummel placed eighth and ninth, respectively. Lawrence’s Torin Yung finished 10th at 1:22.08, and fellow Lion Isaac Reed took 12th at 1:46.42.

Oral was the runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:08.81, followed by Bauch in third at 1:13.70. Graysen Koonce finished fifth at 1:15.20, while Song came sixth at 1:16.64. Firebird Felix Ovsak placed eighth at 1:20.00, while Klish and Saint Onge took ninth and 10th, respectively.

The meet ended with the 400-yard freestyle relay, which Free State won with Bateman, Kempf, Bauch and Carnagey swimming in 3:34.53, which was a qualifying time. Lawrence’s team of Romero-Perez, Bierschbach, Rhea and Saint Onge took fourth at 4:06.28.

Lawrence will be at home on Thursday for a swim meet while Free State will next compete at Blue Valley Southwest on Tuesday.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State diver Gavin McIntosh tucks his legs during a dive in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Cooper Trummel swims his portion of the 200-yard medley relay in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Milo Bacani swims his portion of the 200-yard medley relay in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence’s Isaac Reed swims the 200-yard freestyle in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence’s Thurston Saint Onge swims the 200-yard freestyle in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Ruan Strydom swims the 200-yard freestyle in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Owen Carnagey swims the 200-yard freestyle in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence’s Lawson Donly swims the 500-yard freestyle in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Ewan Campbell swims the 100-yard backstroke in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Felix Ovsak swims the 100-yard breaststroke in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence’s Lawson Donly swims the 500-yard freestyle in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence’s Alex Oral swims the 100-yard breaststroke in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Jason Song swims the 100-yard breaststroke in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Anderson Bateman swims his portion of the 400-yard freestyle relay in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Hank Walter swims his portion of the 400-yard freestyle relay in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Ethan Lynch swims the 200-yard individual medley in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence’s Junu McCall swims the 200-yard individual medley in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence’s Max Seusy swims the 50-yard freestyle in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Gavin Koonce swims the 100-yard butterfly in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Patrick Plumlee swims the 100-yard freestyle in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Alex Velasco-Crates swims the 100-yard freestyle in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Anderson Bateman swims the 100-yard freestyle in a swim and dive meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Lawrence.