Andrea McQueen has been to the state swimming championships before.

But this time around, she'll arrive at the event as a district champion.

The Freeport junior, fresh off a WPIAL title in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 53.52 seconds, will also swim the 100 breaststroke at the PIAA Class AA meet, to be held Wednesday and Thursday at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg.

"My goal in the 100 free is 51 seconds, but I'd be satisfied with a 52," said McQueen, whose personal-best time in the event is 53.35 seconds, set at the WPIAL meet in 2006.

She enters the state championships seeded eighth in the 100 freestyle.

The seven swimmers seeded higher than McQueen are from the eastern side of the state.

McQueen's teammate, junior Gail Erickson, is headed to the PIAA meet in the 100 backstroke.

Erickson swam at states in relays before this year, but this will be her initial appearance in an individual event.

She placed eighth at WPIALs with a personal-best time of 1:02.51, then waited to find out if she had made the final cut.

"I found out on Monday from my mom," said Erickson. "She checked the internet and saw that I had made it. I'm hoping to do my best and just have fun."

Mars' Rachel Szymkowiak will swim the 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly and the backstroke leg of the 200 medley relay.

"I'd like to make the consolations (places nine through 16) in the IM," said Szymkowiak. "And the butterfly, I don't know because my events are pretty close together."

The Planets medley relay team, which also includes Chloe Pierre (breaststroke), Courtney Shields (butterfly) and Gabri Pierre (freestyle), placed fifth at WPIALs with a time of 1:54.36.

Knoch's Rachel Tano will be pulling double duty, swimming the 100 breaststroke and the 200 freestyle.

The sophomore swam her best time ever in both events at the WPIAL meet, including a third-place time of 1:08.72 in the breaststroke.

"I thought she did amazing," said Knoch coach Stephanie Karwoski. "It was exhilarating to watch that race. Her goal was to finish in the top eight and get a medal. But to go from being seeded ninth to finishing third, that's pretty incredible."

"I want to finish well," said Tano. "I'd like to cut my time down a bit, but placing would be great too."

Mars' Jeff Gavin is Butler County's lone male swimmer to make the state meet.

Gavin placed second in the 500 freestyle (4:51.87) and third in the 200 freestyle (1:46.00) at the WPIAL meet and is seeded sixth in both events at states.

"My goal is to finish third in the 500 and either fifth or sixth in the 200," Gavin said.

Gavin practices at Pine-Richland High School and will be swimming 5,000 yards a day until the state meet.

It will be the third and final time Gavin, a senior, will compete at the PIAA event.

"Anytime you're swimming in such a big meet, it's nerve-racking," he said. "They call your name right before the event and you stand behind the block and that's when it really hits you. Then you stand up on the starting block when the race is about to begin and everything is calm."

Wednesday's events include the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and the 200 freestyle relay.

All other events will be held on Thursday.