Butler senior Laura Goettler competes in the 100-yard breaststroke at Friday's WPIAL Championships. Goettler won the event.

PITTSBURGH — The Class 3A girls breaststroke was sure to yield one final WPIAL medal for Laura Goettler.

But another championship? The odds seemed to be against it.

Butler's senior entered Thursday's 200-yard individual medley as three-time defending champ and was ranked first in the district, but placed a distant second in a race during which she said she just didn't feel right.

And she went to bed Thursday night with a fever.

No matter. Goettler has a champion's mentality and it was on full display Friday morning at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool.

She trailed Mt. Lebanon's Maddie Dorish by .27 seconds halfway through the race, but reached another gear over the final 50 yards and claimed a fifth and final individual WPIAL crown with a time of one minute, 3.17 seconds.

Dorish came in second, 1.17 seconds later.

“I was definitely motivated to win today, maybe a little more after Thursday,” said Goettler. “I usually end up bringing it home strong on the second lap in the breast.”

Goettler also won the breaststroke here two years ago and is the defending PIAA champion in the event.

Butler coach Dave Bocci knows Goettler's talent and what drives her. Despite the things that were seemingly working against her, he was confident she would win.

“Her time, I knew she wasn't going to go 1:01,” Bocci said. “But today wasn't about time. Today was about winning. I told her, 'You're the defending state champion. Now go out and win.'

“She had the best stroke in the field,” he added. “When you have that, it's usually going to win out. She was the favorite.”

As a freshman in 2017, Goettler won the 200 IM title here in record time. That level of success so early in a varsity career brings with it expectations.

“I try to not let the pressure bother me, but sometimes it does,” admitted Goettler, a Duquesne University commit. “It's something I'm trying to learn to deal with.”

Goettler will compete in her last state championship meet in a couple of weeks. For someone with a very decorated athletic career, and a strong competitive spirit to go with it, she remains humble about what she has accomplished.

“I've put a lot of emotion into swimming and I've done pretty well so far.”

Class AANorth Catholic's boys program has come a very long way in just five seasons.How far?“Our first year, we had three swimmers, total,” said Trojans' coach T.J. Barry. “This year, we had 12 and nine of them made it to WPIALs.“Two years ago, we scored a few points here, last year a few more. We've improved a little every year.”To be honest, North improved a whole lot.The Trojans earned five individual medals and came to the podium twice for relays.Jackson Kress led the way. He placed in the 200 IM, the backstroke and helped North to medals in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.The Trojans scored 148 points to place fifth out of 37 teams in the team standings.Knoch's Braden Zukowski was second in the breaststroke and Zach Wilson third in the backstroke to help the Knights finish in fourth place with 154 points.

Following are results from the WPIAL Swimming Championships, which concluded Friday at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool. The top eight in each event earned a medal. The winner of each event is guaranteed a berth into the state meet.Class 3AGirls100 freestyle: 1-Olivia Livingston (Gateway) 50.15; 6-Kendall Craig (Seneca Valley) 52.53500 freestyle: 1-Molly Smyers (North Allegheny) 5:00.32100 backstroke: 1-Torie Buerger (North Allegheny) 54.21; 8-Ria Dietz (Seneca Valley) 58.15100 breaststroke: 1-Laura Goettler (Butler) 1:03.17; 6-Edie Sawyer (Seneca Valley) 1:06.69; 7-Megan Smith (Mars) 1:07.50400 freestyle relay: 1-North Allegheny 3:27.75; 7-Seneca Valley (Julia Listwak, Bella Stefanowicz, Annabel Morrisard, Kendall Craig) 3:37.57Boys100 freestyle: 1-Branko Kosanovich (North Allegheny) 45.80; 3-Ben Borvendeg (Butler) 46.58; 5-Kevin Donaldson (Seneca Valley) 47.06500 freestyle: 1-Rick Mihm (North Allegheny) 4:31.91; 2-David Bocci (Butler) 4:36.56100 backstroke: 1-Owen Blazer (Seneca Valley) 47.83; 6-Sam Deemer (Butler) 52.32100 breaststroke: 1-Josh Matheny (Upper St. Clair) 54.43; 6-Haihan Xu (Seneca Valley) 59.46400 freestyle relay: 1-North Allegheny 3:05.32; 2-Seneca Valley (Kevin Donaldson, Daniel Simoes, Max Skeen, Owen Blazer) 3:07.54; 6-Butler (Ben Borvendeg, David Bocci, Tanner Vietmeier, Sam Deemer) 3:13.54Class 2AGirls100 freestyle: 1-Hallie Findlan (Thomas Jefferson) 53.12; 6-Brooke Welling (Freeport) 54.54500 freestyle: 1-Maeve Kelley (Winchester Thurston) 5:06.20; 5-Ainsley Bissett (North Catholic) 5:20.39100 backstroke: 1-Isabel Huang (Quaker Valley) 57.00; 6-Brittney Carmazzi (North Catholic) 1:00.64; 7-Emma Kunzmann (North Catholic) 1:01.46100 breaststroke: 1-Heather Gardner (Mount Pleasant) 1:04.87; 4(tie)-Alexis Schrecongost (Freeport) 1:07.63400 freestyle relay: 1-Elizabeth Forward 3:37.57; 6-Freeport (Brooke Welling, Aimee Heasley, Madison Moretti, Alexis Schrecongost) 3:46.92; 8-North Catholic (Ainsley Bissett, Maddie Manczka, Emma Kunzmann, Brittney Carmazzi) 3:49.22Boys100 freestyle: 1-Ian Shahan (Belle Vernon) 44.68500 freestyle: 1-Adam Morrison (Deer Lakes) 4:41.14; 8-Caden Traggiai (Knoch) 5:04.67100 backstroke: 1-Alex May (Montour) 53.26; 3-Zach Wilson (Knoch) 53.31; 4-Jackson Kress (North Catholic) 55.13; 5-Matthew Littleton (North Catholic) 55.55; 8-John Lamb (North Catholic) 56.20100 breaststroke: 1-Cole Thome (Indiana) 59.31; 2-Braden Zukowski (Knoch) 1:00.23400 freestyle relay: 1-Indiana 3:11.91; 5-North Catholic (Matthew Littleton, Jackson Kress, John Lamb, Julian LaPietra) 3:24.82