If experience wins out in the WPIAL Class AAA girls butterfly final, Elyse Dobrick will be in great shape.

The Seneca Valley senior enters the district swimming championships, to be held Thursday and Friday at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool, seeded second in the event with a time of 58.1 seconds.

Dobrick is the only senior ranked in the top nine. The rest of the field includes two juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen.

In fact, the only girl seeded higher than Dobrick in the event is Moon freshman Zina Grogg.

Dobrick will be making her fourth appearance at the WPIAL meet. She finished third in the butterfly last year.

"I think my experience will make a difference," Dobrick said. "(Grogg) just started swimming this year and I'm going to WPIALs for the fourth time."

Dobrick has made the PIAA meet before, so merely getting to states isn't enough this season.

"I was seeded first in the butterfly all season long until a couple of weeks ago," she said. "If I don't win, it will definitely be disappointing."

"Elyse has worked very hard this year and has done everything we've asked of her," said SV assistant Tom Fletcher, who is coaching the Raiders during Tom Donati's suspension. "She's undefeated in the butterfly this season."

Kelly Connolly has nobody seeded in front of her in the 100-yard breaststroke and she hopes to stay in front once she hits the water.

Connolly, who set SV's girls record in the event earlier this season at 1:5.07, also is seeded third in the 50 freestyle (24.73).

Though just a junior, Rose Snyder is a veteran of two WPIAL and PIAA meets.

She looks to continue her strong high school career with the No. 2 seed in the 100 freestyle (53 seconds) and the No. 3 seed in the 200 freestyle (1:55.45).

"Physically, Rose is pure power," said Fletcher. "I'd bet she's stronger than any other girl in her events."

That is due to Snyder's regimen of lifting weights three mornings every week during the season.

"Weightlifting is one of my favorite parts of swimming," she said. "After you're done lifting, you feel so strong."

SV's Emily Wolfarth is seeded seventh in both the 200 freestyle (1:59.54) and the 500 freestyle (5:18.44).

If it's possible to carry momentum over a two-week period, Butler's Molly Evans will attempt to do it.

In the Golden Tornado's regular-season finale against Seneca Valley Feb. 15, Evans set a team and pool record in the 200 freestyle (1:55.97) and another pool mark in the 500 freestyle (5:07.59).

Evans said the 500 freestyle is her strongest event. She placed seventh at WPIALs as a sophomore in 2005 and fourth last season.

"I've gotten a lot stronger the last few years, but it also comes down to experience," said Evans. "There was a time when I was scared of swimming the 500.

"But after a while, you just have to come to terms with the fact that you're swimming the longest event," she added. "It becomes easier as you swim it more often."

Butler's Sarah Clouse is seeded fourth in the breaststroke (1:09.41) and Brittany Vogel is seventh in the 100 backstroke (1:02.79).

Both Butler and Seneca Valley have girls relay teams seeded in the top 10.

Butler's highest ranked team is the ninth-seeded 200 medley relay team of Ellen Crummy, Clouse, Evans and Vogel with a seed time is 1:55.20.

SV's top foursome is the 400 freestyle relay team, seeded third at 3:40.55. It consists of Wolfarth, Julie Titley, Dobrick and Snyder.

Seneca Valley's Dan Gutmann is the highest seeded Butler County male swimmer, ranked ninth in the 50 freestyle (22.83).

"If things go his way, he could sneak into states," said Fletcher. "But that's not really the goal. More than anything, I'm hoping he establishes himself as one of the best sprinters in the WPIAL."

Butler's lone boys swimmer to make WPIALs is Michael Coulter, 15th in the butterfly (57.79).

The WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships will run from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

Thursday's events will include the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle relay. All other events will be held Friday.