Post on 05-Jan-2022
Free State Firebirds Update
Let’s Go State!
Updates from the Firebirds Athletic Department
Firebirds of the Week Congratulations!Freshman Liv Brack | Cheer
As a Freshman, Liv has become an integral part of our program and is developing into a leader. She embodies the spirit of “TEAM” in all she does. She has a tenacious passion for excellence, a consistently positive attitude and a kind heart. She is focused, well respected by her teammates and coaches, and strives for excellence in all that she does. She is responsible, dedicated and always ready and willing to put in the work. She works hard for every accomplishment and is continuously reaching higher for every goal - both personally and for her team. Liv is an outstanding student athlete in and out of the classroom and has proven to be a positive asset to the Spirit Squad and Cheerleading Team and is highly respected by her fellow teammates and coaches.
Firebirds of the Week Congratulations!Senior Madison Seelye | Dance
Madison is a great leader and a strong role model for the Free State Dance Team. Over the past three years, I have watched her grow from a quiet teammate to a confident and mature Senior leader. She has taken on the role of one of our team captains this year and knows the strengths and weaknesses of every one of her teammates. She comes to practices and games ready to go and embodies the characteristics that mark her out as a good leader, a team player, and someone who the rest of the team can look up to. As a captain, Madison does a great job of leading by example. She is always the first one to arrive and the last one to leave, ensuring that everything is complete, put away and ensures that the coaches or teammates have assistance where needed. She is consistent in her positive attitude, is committed to doing the right things at practice and has always done well in the classroom. She is extremely selfless and always gives 110% with a smile on her face.
Firebirds of the Week Congratulations!Sophomore Mallory Qualseth | Gymnastics
Mallory is a Sophomore this year and she has worked exceptionally hard since joining our team in the Fall of last year. She has been deemed by our team as 'one of the nicest people in the world'. Her level of kindness is matched only by her incredible drive to be better every day. Mallory has graceful lines on every event. She has stunning leaps and beautiful walkovers, on beam and floor! Mallory got her kip on bars this year and is working on raising all of her start values on each event and it is working! Her joyous smile is contagious and we all feel so lucky that she is a part of our Lady Firebirds Gymnastics Team!
Firebirds of the Week Congratulations!Senior Jalen Jordan | Football
Jalen is a Senior cornerback for the Firebird Football team. This is Jalen's 4th year of football and his 1st year starting on defense. Off the field Jalen gets it done in the classroom and displays great character, and he is also involved in Student Council. Over the past two years, Jalen has worked really hard to be successful on the field. He has put in a lot of work in his training and I'm proud of how he has grown in his character. Jalen is a good team player and always puts the Firebirds first, he is a great role model for the underclassmen.
Boys Cross Country Congratulations!Rim Rock Classic | 17th Place
Jack Keathley Helms | 33rd Place - 16:31.8Blake Wohler | 83rd Place - 17:16.5
Ryan Whittelsey | 103rd Place - 17:24.9Carson Marsh | 117th Place - 17:38.3Ben Shryock | 125th Place - 17:45.0Jake Hedges | 146th Place - 18:06.5Tiger Sievers | 166th Place - 18:38.7
Girls Cross Country Congratulations!Rim Rock Classic | 10th PlaceIsabella Pro | 25th Place - 19:43.0
Allison Babbit | 53rd Place - 20:22.4Olivia Goeser | 66th Place - 20:20.2Janice Werth | 68th Place - 20:34.4Greta Barnett | 80th Place - 20:45.5Brylee Burns | 87th Place - 20:52.1
Cayman Barnes | 112th Place - 21:24.4
Football Congratulations!Lawrence Free State 21 - Gardner-Edgerton 13
A huge THANK YOU to the Free State Football Gridiron Club for raising more than $1700 on Friday night in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!
Girls Golf Congratulations!1st Leg of the Sunflower League at Sunflower Hills | 7th Place
Claire Berquist - 11th Place
Girls Golf Congratulations!
1st Leg of the Sunflower League at Sunflower Hills
7th Place
Gymnastics Congratulations!vs. Emporia, Lawrence, Newton | 1st Place
Vault | Ashley Mai - 1st Place, Avery Qualseth - 5th PlaceBars | Avery Qualseth - 1st Place, Chaney Finkeldei - 2nd Place,
Ashley Mai - 4th PlaceBeam | Avery Qualseth - 1st Place, Chaney Finkeldei - 2nd Place,
Elaina Zung - 3rd PlaceFloor | Avery Qualseth - 1st Place
All-Around | Avery Qualseth - 1st Place
Gymnastics Congratulations!
vs. Emporia, Lawrence, Newton1st Place
Gymnastics Congratulations!2021 Sunflower League Championships | 3rd Place
Bars | Kenzie Vaughn - 5th Place
Beam | Elaina Zung - 6th Place
JV Gymnastics Congratulations!at Olathe Invitational | 1st Place
Vault | Daisiana Douglas - T-2nd Place, Anne Cross - T-2nd Place, Lindsay Hays - 6th Place
Bars | Mallory Qualseth - 2nd Place, Anne Cross - 6th PlaceBeam | Mallory Qualseth - 1st Place, Anne Cross - 2nd Place,
Daisiana Douglas - 3rd PlaceFloor | Mallory Qualseth - 3rd Place, Lindsay Hays - 4th Place,
Anne Cross - 5th PlaceAll-Around | Mallory Qualseth - 1st Place, Anne Cross - 2nd Place
JV Gymnastics Congratulations!
at Olathe Invitational1st Place
Boys Soccer Congratulations!Lawrence Free State 3 - De Soto 1
Lawrence Free State 1 - Olathe East 0
Girls Tennis Congratulations!vs. Mill Valley, Olathe Northwest, Olathe West | 2nd Place
#1 Singles | Emma Evans - 1-2
#2 Singles | Wendo Kimori - 1-2
#1 Doubles | Dayna Steadman & Maya Lee - 3-0
#2 Doubles | Jada Fowler & Angelica Velasquez - 1-2
Girls Tennis Congratulations!
vs. Mill Valley, Olathe Northwest, Olathe West
2nd Place
Girls Tennis Congratulations!at the Emporia Tournament
#1 Singles | Wendo Kimori - 4th Place
#2 Singles | Andrea Velasquez - 11th Place
#1 Doubles | Dayna Steadman & Maya Lee - 3rd Place
#2 Doubles | Jada Fowler & Angelica Velasquez - 5th Place
Girls Tennis Congratulations!
Emporia Tournament
Volleyball Congratulations!Lawrence Free State 2 - Gardner-Edgerton 0
Lawrence Free State 2 - SM South 0
Washburn Rural Tournament | 2nd Place
Lawrence Free State 2 - Blue Valley 0
Lawrence Free State 2 - Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 0
Lawrence Free State 2 - Gardner-Edgerton 0
Volleyball Congratulations!JV Lady Firebirds at SM Northwest Invitational
6th Place
C-Team Lady Firebirds at Olathe West Invitational2nd Place
Freshman Lady Firebirds at Olathe North Invitational3rd Place
Firebirds Athletics Senior SpotlightGirls Tennis
Senior Spotlight Girls Tennis
Sarah Edmonds
Senior Spotlight | Lady Firebirds TennisSarah Edmonds
4-Year Member of the Lady Firebirds Tennis TeamOther Activities/Athletics Involved in at Free State
Chamber Choir, Hype Club, Link Crew, National Honor Society
Post-Secondary PlansMy plan after high school is to study Music or Industrial Design in college.
Favorite Free State MemoryMy favorite Free State memories are going to football games and dances with my friends.
Senior Spotlight Girls Tennis
Emma Evans
Senior Spotlight | Lady Firebirds TennisEmma Evans
4-Year Member of the Lady Firebirds Tennis TeamOther Activities/Athletics Involved in at Free State
National Honor Society Officer, S.A.L.T. of the Firebirds, Track & Field
Post-Secondary PlansI plan to play tennis and study Criminology in college.
Favorite Free State MemoryOne of my favorite Free State memories is standing with
Mr. Graber at the 2019 rivalry football game, screaming and giving each other high fives as Free State beat LHS!
Senior Spotlight Girls Tennis
Jordan Grabast
Senior Spotlight | Lady Firebirds TennisJordan Grabast
3-Year Member of the Lady Firebirds Tennis TeamOther Activities/Athletics Involved in at Free State
Free State FCSPost-Secondary Plans
I would like to go to college and then PT-school to become a Physical Therapist.
Favorite Free State MemoryMy favorite Free State memory is formal!
Senior Spotlight Girls Tennis
Elly Moe
Senior Spotlight | Lady Firebirds TennisElly Moe
3-Year Member of the Lady Firebirds Tennis TeamOther Activities/Athletics Involved in at Free State
Link Crew, National Honor Society, Softball, Symphonic Orchestra
Post-Secondary PlansI plan on attending a university and
majoring in Physical Therapy.Favorite Free State Memory
My favorite Free State memory is Winter Formal my Sophomore year.
Senior Spotlight | Lady Firebirds Tennis
Arwen O’Brien4-Year Member of the Lady Firebirds Tennis TeamOther Activities/Athletics Involved in at Free State
Chamber Orchestra, Symphonic OrchestraPost-Secondary Plans
I plan to study abroad next year.Favorite Free State Memory
My favorite Free State memories are dinners with the Tennis team.
Senior Spotlight Girls TennisDayna Steadman
Senior Spotlight Girls Tennis
Avery Stejskal
Senior Spotlight | Lady Firebirds TennisAvery Stejskal
4-Year Member of the Lady Firebirds Tennis TeamOther Activities/Athletics Involved in at Free State
Hype Club, Link Crew, National Honor SocietyPost-Secondary Plans
I plan to attend college next year.Favorite Free State Memory
My favorite Free State memories are going to all of the activities, especially football games and dances!
Senior Spotlight Girls TennisAndrea Velasquez
Senior Spotlight Girls TennisAngelica Velasquez
Senior Spotlight Girls Tennis
Tayler Wiley
Senior Spotlight | Lady Firebirds TennisTayler Wiley
3-Year Member of the Lady Firebirds Tennis TeamOther Activities/Athletics Involved in at Free State
Basketball, National Honor Society, SoftballPost-Secondary Plans
I plan to attend the University of Kansas, majoring in Physical Therapy.Favorite Free State Memory
My favorite Free State memory is Fire Fest from my Sophomore year.
Free State Firebirds in Action!
National Honor Society InductionOn Wednesday, September 15th, 138 students were inducted into the National Honor Society. NHS is made-up of almost 300 Free State Juniors and Seniors who maintain a 3.5 GPA and assist our school and the district through their volunteer service. NHS membership is one of the highest honors awarded to high school students after careful consideration of their scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Congratulations new NHS members!
National Honor Society Induction Congratulations!
Ella Barkley, Ben Barnett, Peter Barybin, Alexa Beaty, Andrew Bellemore, Arthur Benson, Spencer Bentley, Claire Berquist, Michael Bido,
Lillian Beightel, Kady Bischmann, Amy Bontrager, Devon Bontrager, Jarrett Breuer, Tristen Bruns, Baya Burgess, Brooke Burgess,
Jack Burket, Ethan Byington, Cade Campbell, Cicely Carson, Gracie Carlson, Morgan Christensen, Braedyn Clover, Abby Coons,
Holly Covington, Jackie Cozadd, Joshua Chen, Jake Chun, Cason Cregg, Addison Driscoll, Olivia Demaree, Soraya Denlinger, Chloe Denning, Aubrey Duncan, Micah Dunn, Ethan Elam, Evelyn Falin, Dylan Farrell, Erica Feng, Myka Felch,
Jada Fowler, May Gao, Olivia Goeser, Ava Graber-Weickert, Gavin Grant,
National Honor Society Induction Congratulations!
Madyson Gray, Mary Green, Gracia Greenhoot, Davis Greenstreet, Harleigh Hagen, Grant Hamilton, Eli Hansen, Madelyn Harris,
Tahima Hashim, Daniel He, Emma Hefty, Eli Hill, Lolly Hindman, Susan Holder, Matt Hoskinson, Andrew Huang, Maya Huang, Reese Hulcher,
Cici Hunter, Naheen Jamal, Devon James, Felix Janzen-Chappell, Raelynn Keefer, Aiden Kemp, Wendo Kimori, Morgan Kimuri,
Marina Kimzey, Anna Kober, Casey Kong, Suyash Kumar, Macie LaFountain, LouAnn Landau, Rachel Lee, Taylor Lewis, Emma Liu, Grace Malin,
Charlotte Manicki, Carson Marsh, Ella Marshall, Ella McCleary, Halie McCollough, Terry Meecham, Carlie Miller, Hayden Moore,
National Honor Society Induction Congratulations!
Shepherd Morrison, Nathan Ma, Grace Mutuku, Myla Nover-Estes, Samantha Packard, Shivani Patel, Aaron Persinger, Gus Peters, Keith Popiel,
Madison Powell, Cierra Rivers, Jackson Roberts, Karsyn Robertson, Olivia Romero, Michael Romito, Kayin Rose, Julia Ruddy, Claire Schmidt,
Piper Sinclair, Benjamin Skillman, Nathaniel Siemmer, Milo Smith, Carley Sommer, Marrah Spriggs, Emma Stammeyer, Nicholas Stefanov,
Eric Streeter, Lauren Tao, Steven Tao, Sawyer Thomsen, Rylee Unruh, Kylie Voss, Gemma Waldron, Bradie Ward, Evan Whit, Benjamin Wilkerson, Allie Williams, Avery Williams,
Benjamin Williams, Alyx Wood, Gracie Xie, Keaton Xu, Da Ming Zhang
Free State Fishing ClubJunior Wyatt Sutton and Senior Keiron Langston took 4th Place out of 70 teams at the Kansas Youth Bass Nation State Qualifier at Melvern Lake on Saturday! Wyatt and Keiron are also competing on Sunday at Perry Lake against 73 teams.
Free State Fishing Club
Free State Fishing Club
Mrs. Woolfolk’s ELA ClassSharing Research on Native American Culture in American Literature
Mrs. Woolfolk’s ELA ClassNative American Oral Tradition: Telling the Stories (Narratives)
Mrs. Woolfolk’s ELA ClassNative American Oral Tradition: Telling the Stories (Narratives)
What’s Happening this Week!
Monday, September 27th
Picture Retake Day | 7am-3pm, Small Gym
Varsity Volleyball at Basehor-Linwood | 6pm
Picture Retake InformationLocation: Small Gym8am | Last Names A-D
9:05am | Last Names E-H10:30am | Last Names I-L11:30am | Last Names M-Q
1pm | Last Names R-U2pm | Last Names V-Z
*Students may also take their photo during his/her ILT.
Tuesday, September 28th
Varsity Girls Tennis at Plaza Tournament | 8am
Varsity Gymnastics at SM Northwest Invitational | 5pm
Varsity Volleyball vs. Lawrence, Mill Valley | 5pmPurchase Tickets Here
Varsity Boys Soccer | 7pm, Gardner-EdgertonPurchase Tickets Here
Wednesday, September 29th
Varsity Girls Golf at 2nd Leg of Sunflower League9am | Eagle Bend Golf Course
Varsity Girls Tennis at Lawrence | 3pm
Thursday, September 30th
Varsity Girls Tennis at 2021 Sunflower League Tournament9:30am, CBAC-Tennis
Future Firebirds Spirit Squad Clinic | 5:30-7pm
Varsity Volleyball | 6pm, Olathe East
Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Olathe West7pm, Firebirds Soccer Stadium
Purchase Tickets Here
Friday, October 01st
Varsity Football vs. Mill Valley - Pink Out!7pm, Firebirds Football Stadium
Purchase Tickets Here
Saturday, October 02nd
Varsity Volleyball at Janice Van Gorp Memorial Tournament9am, SM Northwest
Looking Ahead at Next Week!
Monday, October 04th
Varsity Girls Golf at 3rd Leg of Sunflower League | 1pm, Tomahawk GC
Orchestra Concert/Aria Concert | 6pm, Auditorium
Tuesday, October 05th
S.A.L.T. of the Firebirds Meeting | 7am, Auditorium
Varsity Gymnastics at SM South Invitational | 5pm
Varsity Volleyball vs. Olathe South | 6pm - Pink Out!Purchase Tickets Here
Varsity Boys Soccer | 7pm, Mill ValleyPurchase Tickets Here (Mill Valley’s Athletic Website)
Wednesday, October 06th
Boys Swim & Dive Informational Meeting | 7:30am, Room 526**If you are unable to attend, please contact Coach McDonald at amcdonal@usd497.org.
Varsity Girls Golf at SM South Invitational | 1pm, Sycamore Ridge
Club Fair | 3:30-4pm, Commons
Fall Choral Concert | 7pm, Auditorium
Varsity Volleyball vs. SM Northwest | 6pmPurchase Tickets Here
Thursday, October 07th
Varsity Boys Soccer | 7pm, SM North
Improv Night | 7pm, Black Box Theatre
Friday, October 08th
6A Regional Girls Tennis Tournament | TBA, Harmon Park
Varsity Football vs. Olathe South | 7pm, ODACPurchase Tickets Here (Olathe South’s Athletic Website)
Saturday, October 09th
Varsity Boys & Girls Cross Country at Haskell Invitational | 9am, Haskell
Varsity Volleyball at De Soto Tournament | 8am, De Soto
Varsity Gymnastics at Newton Invitational | 11am, Newton
Click Here for More Info!
Let’s Go State!