photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Alex Oral swims the 100-yard breaststroke in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

The Lawrence swim and dive team celebrated senior night with a home meet win over Hayden, Olathe North, Topeka and Topeka West.

Lawrence led all teams with 401 points, beating Olathe North by 75 points. Lawrence coach Elle Weber said the team showed depth in the meet, which helped the team get the points and the victory.

“There was one event where we had three guys swimming, and they were the only three swimming it,” Weber said. “It looked good today. Everyone was in a good mood. They were ready to swim at home.”

Getting a win on senior night made the meet extra special. The Lions have four seniors on the team: Jack Bauch, Aiden Bierschbach, Alex Oral and Armando Romero-Perez. The seniors have built a fun atmosphere with the team, and Weber says the bond the team has comes from the leadership they provide.

“They do a really good job showing the younger boys what it’s like to be on the team and making sure they enjoy it,” Weber said. “It’s been fun to watch. They’re good leaders, and maybe not necessarily because they’re super fast, but they just appreciate the program.”

“We’re in the water, we see each other every day,” Romero-Perez added. “We’re just like family. I think the community is great.”

This year was Bauch’s first and only season on the swim team. He decided to join the team with some friends and stuck with it after those friends quit. It’s been a challenging experience, but a rewarding one as well.

“It’s been great,” Bauch said. “There’s a great community here — everyone is accepting. It’s nice.”

Oral has been swimming most of his life, as he wanted to follow in his older brother’s footsteps. Through ups and downs, swimming taught Oral a lot and made him the person he is today. He got to celebrate it all with senior night.

“It was exciting,” Oral said. “I’m looking forward to moving on, but I have a lot of great memories here.”

Romero-Perez said the sport also changed him as a person. He joined the team as a sophomore and has grown in and out of the pool during the last three years. A former introvert, Romero-Perez said the sport has helped him step out of his comfort zone and given him a lot of memories.

“I just remember all the moments I had here, all the friends,” Romero-Perez said. “Now, they’re all up and away, and soon that’ll be me.”

Bierschbach started his freshman year with the team and has gone through the valleys and peaks of swimming each year. Overall, the sport has helped him grow as a person like his teammates.

For the seniors’ final month with the team, they’re looking forward to going to Chipotle after meets and finishing their careers with no regrets.

“I’m sad but I’m excited,” Bierschbach said. “I want to make as many memories as I can before I’m gone.”

The meet started with diving, which Lawrence’s Cale Ward won with 222.45 points. Fellow Lion Liam Meyers placed second with 172.20 points.

The swim events began with the 200-yard medley relay, which Lawrence’s top team of Romero-Perez, Mateo Klish, Oral and Garrett Rhea finished as the runners-up with a time of 1 minute, 56.24 seconds.

In the 200-yard freestyle, Lawson Donly won with a 2:00.96 time. Alex Velasco-Crates took sixth at 2:35.14, and Max Seusy placed seventh at 2:39.83. The only swimmers in the 200-yard individual medley were three Lions. Junu McCall won it at 2:34.76, while Torin Yung took second at 3:11.00. Logan Kohart swam it in 3:14.19.

Oral won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.84 seconds. Rhea placed seventh at 25.96 seconds, while Romero-Perez took 12th at 26.39 seconds.

McCall took third in the 100-yard butterfly at 1:13.76, while Kohart finished fifth at 1:21.02. In the 100-yard freestyle, Klish placed sixth at 59.84 seconds. Bierschbach finished right after Klish with a 1:00.00 time.

Donly picked up his second win in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing the race in 5:38.21. Rhea placed fourth at 6:29.86, and Thurston Saint Onge took sixth at 6:53.67.

Lawrence won the 200-yard freestyle relay with the team of Rhea, Romero-Perez, Donly and Oral finishing in 1:41.40. Lawrence’s B team placed third with Bauch, Klish, Saint Onge and Bierschbach swimming in 1:49.90.

Romero-Perez was the runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke at 1:10.60, while Yung finished sixth at 1:22.76.

Oral won his second event in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:07.36, while Klish took sixth in the race at 1:22.46. Seusy placed 10th at 1:37.32.

The meet ended with the 400-yard freestyle relay, in which Lawrence finished third. The team of Bierschbach, Saint Onge, McCall and Donly swam it in 4:02.91, while the B team of Kohart, Suesy, Velasco-Crates and Yung finished sixth at 4:48.90.

Lawrence will be back in a pool competing on Tuesday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium in Topeka.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Isaac Reed swims the first leg of the 200-yard medley relay in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Armando Romero-Perez swims the first leg of the 200-yard medley relay in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Mateo Klish swims the his part of the 200-yard medley relay in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Max Seusy swims the 200-yard freestyle in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Lawson Donly swims the 200-yard freestyle in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Torin Yung swims the 200-yard individual medley in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Cale Ward swims the 50-yard freestyle in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Jack Bauch reaches out for the wall during the 50-yard freestyle in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Aiden Bierschbach swims the 100-yard freestyle in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Thurston Saint Onge swims the 500-yard freestyle in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Torin Yung swims the 100-yard backstroke in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Armando Romero-Perez swims the 100-yard backstroke in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence swimmer Mateo Klish swims the 100-yard breaststroke in a home meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Lawrence.