Freeport para swimmer Isaac Barton excited to compete at PIAA championships

By: Michael Love
Sunday, March 9, 2025 | 4:04 PM

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Isaac Barton is used to swim meets with big crowds.

Just last June, Barton, at age 15, was one of the youngest competitors at the U.S. Paralympic Trials.

He swam the 50 and 100 freestyles at that meet in Minneapolis, Minn.

Barton also achieved a number of personal bests at the U.S. Paralympic National Championships in December. A year earlier at the same meet in Orlando, he took gold in both the 1500 long course freestyle (19 minutes, 57.15 seconds) and 200 long course free (2:30.38).

“It is fun to get the chance to swim at very big competitions,” said Barton who has traveled to para swim meets in other places such as Baltimore and Indianapolis.

A swimmer for many years, he now competes for the Fox Chapel Killer Whales club team and is a second-year member of the Freeport varsity team.

With the founding of para swimming this year by the PIAA, Barton, who had a condition called hypotonia that often is characterized by the individual having lower muscle tone and also issues with vision, now is able to go after high school medals to add to his already considerable awards haul.

“I was excited when I heard they were doing this,” he said.

He captured medals in the 50 and 100 frees at the WPIAL Class 2A championships Feb. 28 and March 1 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. He had been at WPIALs before to see all that took place, but it was the first time he was swimming laps in a race.

“There were a little bit of nerves going in (to WPIALs),” Barton said.

As the only para swimmer at WPIALs, Barton competed with others in the first heat of both the 50 and 100.

“It was a great thing the WPIAL did, so he didn’t have to swim by himself,” Freeport swim coach Sheryl Schrecongost said.

“The other swimmers in the heat pushed him. He’s a workhorse. He’s always challenging himself.”

While Barton was the lone para swimmer at WPIALs, he will have competition Friday and Saturday at the PIAA championships at Bucknell University. The chance to lower his times from WPIALs and race against other para swimmers excites the Yellowjackets sophomore.

He is confident he can go even faster at states.

“It will be fun,” he said. “I was surprised I was the fastest. I have never swam against them before.”

While those factors of hypotonia might slow some down or discourage athletic activity, Barton thrives in his water environment.

He established best times of 26.77 seconds in the 50 free and 58.34 in the 100 free during regular-season Freeport swim meets.

At WPIALs, Barton lowered his times in both — to 26.34 in the 50 and 58.24 in the 100 — and earned qualification to swim at Bucknell.

“It was pretty exciting to find out I was going to (states),” he said.

He is the top seed against three other para swimmers in the 50 and also is the top seed against two others in the 100.

Barton swam the 50 and 100 frees — the only events offered by the PIAA this season — but his versatility across multiple events impresses Schrecongost.

“He can swim everything,” she said.

“Breaststroke is probably his weakest, but it is improving. He’s a great 500 swimmer. He swims the mile. He’s very talented. He does the normal workouts that everyone else does. There are no limitations.”

Barton said he finds inspiration for his swimming in many forms. That includes the connection he has with older sister Isabelle, a senior who will have a busy two days at the PIAA championships in the 200 and 500 frees as well as a member of the 200 and 400 free relays.

“I race her in practice some, and when I get in the pool (for races), I have the feeling like she is next to me,” he said.

Isabelle Barton loved to see her brother compete at a WPIAL meet and perform well.

“It was a really cool experience to see him up on the podium getting his medal and having everyone cheering for him,” she said.

“He deserved all of that for how hard he works. When we swim against each other in practice and he beats me to the wall, I am like, ‘I can’t believe you beat me.’ But it’s a great feeling knowing he’s having that much success.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Freeport