Freeport’s Kira Schrecongost wins WPIAL gold, sets school record

By: Michael Love
Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 8:51 PM

Previous Next

For three years, Freeport’s Kira Schrecongost had a goal of breaking 55 seconds in the WPIAL Class 2A girls 100-yard butterfly.

She did just that Thursday afternoon with a school-record swim of 54.85.

That time also brought her a third WPIAL title in the event out of four attempts. She took second to South Park’s Katie Jackovic as a sophomore.

“I am just so proud of myself,” Schrecongost said. “I had such a big goal for this event, and I had been nipping away at the time. I’ve been close enough to the time I’ve wanted. I hadn’t gone a 54 in the 100 fly, and I was so excited. I was crying. My mom (head coach Sheryl Schrecongost) was crying. It meant a lot.”

Schrecongost bested the field that included runner-up Lainey Sheets, a junior from Hampton (55.40).

Sheets moved over to the 100 fly this year after winning last year’s 200 individual medley on Day 1.

Kira said it was a lot of fun to race right next to her sister, Kasey, in the 100 fly final heat.

“We didn’t race that much in the regular season,” Kira said. “We kind of wanted to spread out the points (in meets). We were both excited to race each other. We were proud of each other, no matter what happened.”

The fifth-place finish for Kasey Schrecongost (58.36) was her third individual medal in as many attempts at WPIALs. She medaled in the 100 free and 100 backstroke last year as a freshman, and she will swim in the 100 free’s fastest heat Friday.

Only the WPIAL champion in each event earned an automatic trip to the PIAA championships in Bucknell the week of March 13.

The other state qualifiers will be determined based on times recorded at each of the district or regional meets.

The Alle-Kiski Valley was well represented at the top of the medals podium in the Class 2A girls 200 IM.

Kira Schrecongost placed second (2:06.44), and Knoch senior Giona Lavorini took third (2:07.59).

Lavorini returns to the pool Friday and will go after a second straight WPIAL title in the 100 breast.

Ava Jochims, a sophomore from Shady Side Academy, took 200 IM gold in a WPIAL-record time of 2:00.09. It eclipsed the record of 2:00.57 set in 2016 by Highlands grad Bailey Bonnett.

The Freeport 200 medley relay of the Schrecongost sisters, freshman Rylee Freshcorn and senior Mary Ann Altman entered their race Thursday two one-hundredths of a second ahead of Mt. Pleasant for the No. 1 seed.

The Yellowjackets were in the lead after the third leg, but Vikings senior standout Lily King, an N.C. State commit, had yet to swim.

She ended up overtaking Altman to win with a time of 1:45.22. Freeport finished second at 1:46.82.

Adrian Lavorini came in seeded seventh in the boys 200 IM, but swimming in the fastest heat of the event, the Knoch junior moved up four spots to a bronze-medal finish in a time of 1:55.84.

He placed sixth (1:59.71) in the 200 IM last year.

The Freeport girls sit in fifth place after Day 1 with 126 points. Indiana is in the lead (135.5), followed by Mt. Pleasant (133), Derry (130) and Franklin Regional (129).

Day 2 of the Class 2A championships kicks off with the 100 freestyle at 3 p.m. on Friday.

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, Knoch