ADAMS TWP — Jack Muehlheuser is making a habit out of being first.

He's hoping to extend that trend to Saturday's boys 100-yard backstroke at the PIAA Class AA Swimming Championships, to be held at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium.

Muehlheuser placed first in the event at the WPIAL Championships March 2 and his time of 52.85 seconds has him ranked first in the state.

“I was a little surprised to see that I have the fastest time in the state,” said Muehlheuser, a senior who also is currently ranked No. 1 in his class at Mars High School. “I was hoping to get one of the top-three seeds.”

Muehlheuser will be making his third and last trip to PIAAs.

“He's been working for four years,” said Mars coach Heidi Brandon. “He's got the maturity, dedication and drive. I'd like to see him take (first place).

“It's been a great time every year,” Muehlheuser said of the state meet, “but it's going to be even more exciting this time because all five of us are going.”

He's referring to teammates Chris Georgiadis, Francis Folz, Tommy Pierre and Reed McDonough, who will all swim individually and in relay events.

Georgiadis is seeded third in the 200 individual medley and fifth in the 500 freestyle.

He's also on both the 200 medley relay (butterfly) and 400 freestyle relay (third leg), which are seeded fourth and 10th, respectively.

“I definitely want to win the medley relay,” said Georgiadis. “It will be close, but we could pull off something major in that event.”

The top-four seeds in the 200 medley, which include top-seeded Fairview, Indiana, Southern Lehigh and Mars, are separated by a combined 0.89 seconds.

The Planets will also be counting on Muehlheuser (backstroke), Pierre (breaststroke) and McDonough (freestyle) in the event.

Muehlheuser, Georgiadis, Pierre and Folz will compete in the 400 free relay.

Individual events for the Planets will also have Folz in the 200 freestyle, Muehlheuser the 200 IM, Pierre the 500 freestyle and McDonough the backstroke.

n Knoch coach Rick Hassler knew junior Ian Lindsey would be swimming the breaststroke at the PIAA event, but was hoping Chadd Cummings would get pulled in when the state's non-automatic entries were announced last week.

Cummings, a freshman who placed sixth at WPIALs with a time of 1:02.11, was rewarded with a trip to Bucknell.

“Both of them are excited to go,” said Hassler. “For them, it's an experience thing more than anything else. It's a whole different thing at states, a different pool, a different environment.”

Lindsey swam a personal-best time of 1:01.5 at WPIALs, good for third place. He's seeded 13th at states.

“I think it's great Chadd made it,” said Lindsey. “We get along well. Without him, I'd be practicing alone. Now we can push each other.”

n Slippery Rock junior Brandon Bridges is seeded 31st in the 500 freestyle after swimming a 5:08.59 at the District 10 Championships.

n Grove City's Eric Schmidt is seeded 23rd in the 200 IM with a time of 2:05.25.

Class AAA

Travis Myers' first and last swim at the state meet will come on Thursday when he hits the water in the backstroke.

The senior is seeded 12th after swimming a career-best time of 52.46 at the WPIAL Championships, where he placed fourth.

“We look at his times (in practice) and they're only one or two seconds from being in the top times in the state,” said Butler swim coach Dacia Como. “We're trying to repeat everything he did at WPIALs.”

“It feels pretty good to be going to the state meet,” said Myers. “I'd like to break the school record. Josh Barthlow swam 50.48 in 2004. If I could come back with that record, it would be a symbol of all the hard work I've put in over the last four years.”

Also representing Butler will be sophomore diver Levi Cetti, who was awarded a spot after District 8 (City League) was unable to qualify one of its own in Class AAA.

Cetti is seeded 18th with a score of 413.85.

Note: A PIAA girls preview will appear in the Butler Eagle later this week.

Following are Butler County area boys swimmers who have qualified for the PIAA Championships, to be held Wednesday through Saturday at Bucknell University. Each swimmer's name is preceded by his seed and followed by his seed time.BoysClass AAA(Wednesday and Thursday)1-meter diving: 18-Levi Cetti (Butler) 413.85100 backstroke: 12-Travis Myers (Butler) 52.46Class AA(Friday and Saturday)200 medley relay: 4-Mars (Jack Muehlheuser, Thomas Pierre, Chris Georgiadis, Reed McDonough) 1:39.68200 freestyle: 11-Francis Folz (Mars) 1:48.47200 individual medley: 3-Chris Georgiadis (Mars) 1:58.99; 13-Jack Muehlheuser (Mars) 2:02.06; 23-Eric Schmidt (Grove City) 2:05.25500 freestyle: 5-Chris Georgiadis (Mars) 4:49.17; 25-Thomas Pierre (Mars) 5:01.39; 31-Brandon Bridges (Slippery Rock) 5:08.59100 backstroke: 1-Jack Muehlheuser (Mars) 52.85; 24-Reed McDonough (Mars) 56.53100 breaststroke: 13-Ian Lindsey (Knoch) 1:01.5; 20-Chadd Cummings (Knoch) 1:02.11400 freestyle relay: 10-Mars (Francis Folz, Thomas Pierre, Chris Georgiadis, Jack Muehlheuser) 3:19.87