PENN TWP — Pushing it forward.

That's how Zach Wilson, a Knoch High School student and 11-year member of the Penn Valley Swim Club, describes his leadership and mentoring role on the team.

“I love doing it. It's the best part about being on the team,” Wilson, 17, said. “I remember when I was a younger swimmer on this team and the older kids took a lot of interest in me.

“I thought it was the coolest thing. I wanted to be like them.”

Penn Valley hosted the AK Valley Swim League Championships over the weekend. Penn Valley claimed the title by tallying 1,233.5 points. Sylvan was second with 1,051.

Belmont, Vandergrift, Zelienople and Sebco rounded out the standings in the six-team circuit.

“We've had as many as 10 or 11 teams in this league,” league president and Penn Valley coach Corrie Jones said. “We've lost teams primarily through pool upkeep.

“It's hard to upkeep these outdoor pools. Western Pennsylvania rains don't just ruin our roads. They do a number on our pools, too.”

But the teams still in the league continue to thrive.

Penn Valley has roughly 85 swimmers. Sylvan is close to that number, too.

“Our numbers go up during an Olympic year,” Jones said. “Michael Phelps has helped us a lot.”

Max Merhaut, the Butler YMCA swim coach who also runs the Sebco program, said his team has 72 swimmers.

“Our program usually has between 65 and 80,” Merhaut said. “Our older kids work a lot with our younger ones as well. It's all about team bonding that way.

“We practice five days a week. Everyone gets together often in swimming. We all get to know each other.”

Jones said the summer season “is not as intense or competitive as the winter season.

“A lot of kids are learning the sport at this time of year,” she said. “We hope they enjoy it enough to move on to USA Swimming, YMCA, high school, etc.”

Merhaut agreed.

“The younger swimmers are learning and the older swimmers use this league to stay in shape — and to teach,” he said.

Penn Valley's Sam Deemer, Abby Griffith and Ellie Weiss have all been with the program for at least a decade. Weiss has been there for 13 years.

“It's fun to watch the kids learn and improve, knowing you had something to do with it,” Weiss said.

“I know the importance of being a good role model,” Deemer said. “Those (younger) kids are always watching us.”

Griffith is in her 11th year at Penn Valley. She won the 50-yard backstroke and butterfly Sunday.

The impact she has on the younger swimmers means more to her than her own victories in the pool.

“That's how it all starts,” Griffith said. “We just support each other. The younger kids know we're always here to help them.

“That's how it was when I came here. That's the way it will always be.”

Tanner Vietmeier and Anthony Ravasio are other longtime swimmers in the Penn Valley program.

“We talk to the kids, help them with their strokes,” Vietmeier said. “They follow us around ... They depend on us for some guidance and, yeah, I think it's our responsibility to provide that.”

“I'm happy to do it,” Ravasio said of helping the younger swimmers. “They learn how to act and conduct themselves at meets by looking at us.

“Through the Butler Y and other teams, a lot of the swimmers in this league know each other. It's a great sport and this league helps to keep it going.”

Eight swimmers won events in freestyle, backstroke and butterfly over the weekend. They were Delaney O'Toole, Kasey and Kira Schrecongost of Sylvan, Aidan Burnworth and Owen Blazer of Zelienople, Liam Lash and Ava Barton of Belmont, and Dashiell Thieme of Penn Valley.