Some high school athletes shy away from high expectations.

This group thrives on them.

Seneca Valley's girls 200-yard medley relay team won WPIAL gold last year and the same quartet is seeded first with a time of 1 minute, 49.12 seconds as it prepares to defend that title at the Class AAA championships Thursday and Friday at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool.

"Knowing that we're seeded first, it just gives us more confidence in ourselves," said senior Mandie Huffman, who will swim the breaststroke in the event.

Also in the mix are seniors Stacie Safritt (backstroke), Kylie Gamelier (butterfly) and sophomore Kelly Connolly (freestyle).

"Our medley relay team really wasn't challenged all year and it set four new pool records," said Seneca Valley coach Tom Donati. "It shows how focused the girls have been."

Seneca Valley also has a solid lineup in girls individual events.

Safritt (50 and 100 freestyle), Huffman (200 IM, 100 breaststroke) and Gamelier (100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke) are SV's lone senior females to qualify for WPIALs.

"All of us seniors are very excited," said Huffman. "We feel this will prove to be our best year (at WPIALs), and we're going to take it all in because this is our last trip."

Seneca Valley finished second in the girls team standings last season, 17 points behind North Allegheny.

"If we get solid individual performances, we'll have a very good shot at a WPIAL team title," said Donati. "NA and Bethel Park also have a good chance, but they better watch out for Seneca Valley."

Senior Drew Snyder returns as the lone SV boys swimmer to make the state meet last year in the 50 freestyle.

He missed the PIAA cut in the 100 freestyle and looks to make amends this time around.

"It was a letdown last season," said Snyder. "After all the hard work I put in, I didn't get to the state meet in the 100 free, which is my best event.

"Getting to states in both events is definitely a goal of mine," he said.

Any coach would like her swimmers to be at their best by this time of the season, and that's the case with Butler's girls.

"I think just about every girl experienced a personal best in the last few weeks of the season," said Golden Tornado coach Amber Schmeider. "It really got their confidence up."

Butler sophomore Molly Evans qualified for WPIALs in six individual events, but will focus on the 200 IM and 500 freestyle.

She finished eighth in the individual medley last year and her best time in the event this season stands at 2:18.33.

Evans also broke the Butler school record in the 500 freestyle this season at 5:19.05.

Jessica Vernon and Sarah Clouse may both be sophomores, but they'll bring WPIAL meet experience with them from their freshman campaigns.

Vernon will compete in the 200 IM (2:21.05) while Clouse will be in the 100 breaststroke (1:10.13) and 100 butterfly (1:03.99).

All six of Butler's relay teams will participate in both the girls and boys meet.

Senior Eric Clouse (100 butterfly) and junior Matt Galante (50 and 100 freestyle) are Butler's lone individual qualifiers in the boys competition.

Galante finished third in the 100 freestyle last season.

He's been to the WPIAL championships three times already, winning two titles in the 100 backstroke and one in the 200 freestyle.So is there any possibility that senior Brendan McGregor will take for granted his last trip to Trees Pool?Not a chance."I'm finally realizing that this is it for me as far as WPIALs go," the Freeport senior said. "To go out with a bang, with another title, I feel it would complete what I started back in my freshman year."McGregor, who won last year's 200 freestyle title, also is a two-time defending champion in the 100 backstroke.Junior Lauren Palko, who finished third and fourth last season in the 50 and 100 freestyles, respectively, returns in search of another strong performance for the Yellowjackets.Knoch's Joe Wagner has already had a memorable season, regardless of what he does at Trees Pool.The senior set three pool records in the 100 butterfly (57.44), 100 backstroke (59.21) and 200 freestyle (1:56.24). He will swim the first two events at WPIALs."He came to me four years ago and couldn't swim the length of the pool," said Knoch coach Tim O'Toole. "But he made a commitment to work hard, and it has paid off for him."The Knights have qualified all three of their boys relay teams.Junior Beth Legin, the lone Knoch girl to compete individually, will swim in the 200 and 500 freestyle events, as well as on the Knights 200 medley relay team.