Schohn, Schrecongost cap careers with medal-winning performances at PIAA swimming

By: Michael Love
Saturday, March 19, 2022 | 10:45 PM

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Seniors Sam Schohn from Plum and Lexi Schrecongost from Freeport capped their high school swimming careers Saturday with medal-winning performances at the PIAA Class 2A championships at Bucknell.

Both placed in the top eight in their respective 100-yard breaststroke races.

Schohn, 11th in the boys 100 breast at last year’s state meet at Cumberland Valley High School, finished fourth overall (58.27) this time around and was a part of a WPIAL trio — with Southmoreland junior Henry Miller and Mt. Pleasant freshman Joseph Gardner — who made a run at the top spot.

“Yesterday was kind of up and down, but today, I felt really good in the water,” said Schohn, who finished 23rd in the 200 individual medley Friday. “It was a fast pool, obviously, and I had some really good competition. I was seeded fourth, then I moved back to fifth after the prelims, and brought it back for fourth, so that felt really good. To see how much I improved from last year to this year, I made a big jump, and I am proud of myself for that.”

Big Spring (District 3) senior Matthew Raudabaugh brought home the PIAA title in a time of 55.77 seconds, but Gardner was right there in second (56.47), followed by Miller in third (56.96).

Schohn dropped nearly three seconds from his 100 breast time at states last year.

“It was so cool to see us go 1-2-3 at WPIALs and only have one guy beat us at states,” Schohn said. “That is so impressive to see how strong our district really is.”

Plum coach Shawn Haupt said Schohn earned every bit of the success he achieved.

“Sam worked hard and always made adjustments,” Haupt said. “This is what he wanted. To see him finally get on that podium, I am so excited for him. I knew he had one last really good swim left in him, and he showed it.”

Schrecongost, a Toledo commit, wrapped up her high school swimming career with a fifth-place medal in the 100 breast.

She came in seeded fourth and slipped back to seventh after the prelims. But in the finals, swimming in Lane 1, she dropped nearly a second from her prelim time and finish in 1:05.16.

Schrecongost added the individual fifth in the 100 breast to the sixth she earned with the 200 medley relay Friday.

“I was really confident that I was going to go out in the finals and do a lot better than I did in the prelims,” said Schrecongost, the 2021 WPIAL champion in the 100 breast. “After prelims, I went back to the hotel and focused on changing the gameplan, and what I needed to do to be better for tonight. I was visualizing my race and doing a lot strategizing.”

Schrecongost said that during her race, she tried to block out the fact that it was her final one.

“I definitely was trying to shut that out,” she said. “It hasn’t hit me yet. Probably next week, I am going to be like, ‘Oh my God, I am done with high school now.’ “

Schrecongost wasn’t the only one from the Alle-Kiski Valley to earn a medal in the girls 100 breast, as Knoch freshman Giona Lavorini clocked a finals time of 1:05.21 and placed sixth.

She first swam the consolation final of the 200 IM on Friday and took 10th overall (2:10.05).

St. Joseph senior Sam Wygonik also capped his high school career in the consolation finals of the 500 freestyle.

He placed 13th overall with a time of 4:49.79, dropping nearly 4 seconds from his time in the preliminaries.

Highlands junior Aidan Ochoa, also making his PIAA debut over the past two days, capped his stay at Bucknell with a 16th in the 100 backstroke (55.28).

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.