WPIAL swimmers dominate at Class 2A state meet, winning 7 golds

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | 12:01 AM

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The WPIAL made quite an impact on Day 1 of the PIAA Class 2A swimming and diving championships at Bucknell University, winning seven state titles.

Indiana senior Preston Kessler completed a sweep of the 200-yard freestyle over his four years at Bucknell.

He lowered his time every year to this year’s winning mark of 1 minute, 37.42 seconds, a state record that surpasses the previous top time of 1:38.31 set by Clearfield’s Luke Mikesell in 2019.

“It is unreal,” Kessler said. “It’s one thing to work hard and win once, but it’s another to keep working hard and defend my title in front of the people that I love and the people who taught me how to swim when I first started out. This is how hard work can pay off.

“Obviously, it was a little nerve-wracking to come back every year with a target on my back, but I also liked the challenge. It was just great competition every year.”

Kessler comes back Thursday in the 100 free with hopes of regaining his state crown. He won the event as a freshman and sophomore but lost out last year to Blue Mountain’s Noah Powers.

“I am definitely coming back tomorrow ready to take back my title,” Kessler said.

Kessler came back later in the evening and helped the Indiana 200 free relay with Joshua Reed, Matthew Blythstone, and Joey Margita claim PIAA gold in a time of 1:25.96.

The quartet collectively knocked a half-second off of their prelim time to win the title for the second year in a row.

“I got out of the water with so much confidence in these guys who I’ve been swimming with for all these years,” said Reed, the relay’s leadoff leg. “I knew they were going to be able to pull it together and bring it home.”

Reed came into the relay’s finals race off of a runner-up finish in the 50 free (21.28).

Blue Mountain senior Noah Powers won the 50 free with a time of 19.83, just one one-hundredth of a second off his state-record swim from last year.

“I had some big swims today, and I have some big swims left tomorrow,” Reed said. “We also have the 400 free relay with some of these guys coming back. I am excited for that as well.”

The win by Powers in the 50 free prevented a WPIAL boys swimming sweep.

The Mt. Pleasant 200 medley relay of Seth Painter, Joseph Gardner, David Mutter and Gunnar Probst upheld the top seed for the finals it established after the preliminaries earlier in the day.

The quartet went 1:34.87 in the prelims, faster than its WPIAL-winning time at Pitt nearly two weeks ago. It then clocked a 1:34.45 to claim state gold for a second year in a row, outdistancing second-place Cathedral Prep (1:35.80).

“It was all on my teammates. They set me up really well,” said Probst, the relay’s freestyle anchor. “I was just thinking about what I had to do with my stroke, all the corrections I made throughout the season, and how they all helped me. It felt so good to get back to the top of the podium. We lost one of our seniors from last year, but we were able to fill his spot and keep going.”

Northgate junior Sam Cavanaugh bested Gardner for the WPIAL title in the 200 IM, but Gardner was able to return the favor at states.

He touched the wall first in a time of 1:49.52, four seconds faster than his runner-up time from WPIALs (1:53.54).

Cavanaugh, the No. 1 seed for the finals, ended up in second (1:50.61).

“I came into states feeling really confident,” Gardner said. “I coasted a little bit in the morning, trying to save a little bit for the relay and for my other events. Coming into the finals, I just wanted to leave it all in the water. This is the last time I will swim (the 200 IM) as a high schooler. I had a good race. I am really proud of myself.”

Mutter, like Gardner, added individual gold to his win with the medley relay.

While he wasn’t able to meet or surpass his state record in the 100 butterfly (47.52) set last year, he did repeat as state champion with a finals time of 48.08, about a second and a half clear of the rest of the field, including runner-up Chris Belch, a senior from Hampton.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to go back-to-back,” said Mutter, who will swim the 500 free and 400 free relay Thursday.

“To go home with another gold medal in my final year to add to my collection, I can’t ask for much more than that. It was a good swim. I feel tired, but I just wanted to go out and do what I could do and hope that it would give me good results.”

Mt. Pleasant senior Lily King has broken records numerous times over her illustrious high school career.

The N.C. State commit added to her record-breaking haul Wednesday evening in the finals of the girls 200 free.

King was unchallenged as she swam to a PIAA and pool-record time of 1:44.64.

The time surpassed the PIAA and pool record of 1:44.73 set by West York’s Courtney Harnish in 2017.

King was slightly faster in the 200 free at WPIALs with a 1:44.62.

“I am very proud of my time and getting the state and pool records,” King said. “A best time would’ve been nice, but I had that goal of getting the state record for a couple of years. It’s an amazing feeling that I have come this far to where I am able to swim a time like that.”

King now will go after her fourth PIAA title in the 100 free Thursday. If she wins gold in the event, she will complete a sweep with her 16th individual title at WPIAL and states combined.

She would be the first swimmer in history, boys or girls, to accomplish the feat.

King holds the PIAA record in the 100 free — 48.38 — set last year. She is the clear top seed with a time from WPIALs of 47.65.

Kira Schrecongost already had captured three state medals in the Class 2A girls 100 fly.

On Wednesday, the Freeport senior and Duquesne commit wanted the top prize.

And in a time of 54.96, Schrecongost had the gold medal she had coveted for a number of years.

She bested the field which included rival Lainey Sheets, a junior from Hampton. Sheets finished second in a time of 55.66.

“I didn’t feel I was moving that fast,” said Schrecongost, who swam a personal best 54.85 in winning the WPIAL title Feb. 27 at Pitt. “I just wanted to get my hand on the wall first. But when I saw 54 again, I was happy. I am glad it is my last 100 fly for a while.”

She made the move up the medals podium each year, from seventh as a freshman to third as a sophomore to second last year.

Shady Side Academy sophomore Ava Jochims had state-title aspirations in the 200 IM in her PIAA debut last year.

But Lewisburg’s Kimberly Shannon prevented Jochims from reaching the very top of the medals podium.

Determined the bring home gold this year, Jochims took advantage of the opportunity in Wednesday’s finals.

She bested the field by close to three seconds, winning in a time of 2:00.49. She achieved a personal best of 2:00.09 in winning the WPIAL title two weeks ago and came in as the No. 1 seed.

“That (finals) race was super fun,” Jochims said. “All of these girls are incredible. Training hard and being able to come here and compete as well as I did, it’s a great feeling. I wanted to show that all the hard work is paying off.”

Jochim hopes to add a PIAA title in the 500 free Thursday. She was second in the event last year.

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.