Baily Trettel and Katelyn Reott left their homes at 6:30 a.m. Thursday to make the long trek to Bucknell University to check in for the PIAA Class 2A Swimming and Diving Championships.

The Moniteau duo arrived at 10:30 a.m.

But 30 minutes later, they were told to head home.

The PIAA announced it was postponing the championships in a precautionary step because of the coronavirus pandemic. The body also decided to outright cancel the Class 3A finals slated for Thursday evening.

“I was pretty upset,” Reott said. “I wanted to swim and it was a long drive. I've been training for this for two weeks. I already tapered and I was ready to be at my best.”

Reott, a freshman, stopped lifting weights and began to swim shorter distances with more effort last week to get her body ready for the state meet.

Now, she, Trettel and other Butler County swimmers and divers in Class 2A will have to wait a minimum of two weeks to get their chance.

If at all.

“It's so up in the air,” said North Catholic diver Kyle Maziarz. “A lot of people I've talked to don't think it will be rescheduled.”

Maziarz practiced for two hours in the morning Thursday ahead of his competition, which was scheduled for Friday.

The senior and Cranberry Township resident is a two-time defending Class 2A 1-meter diving champion and was the top seed heading into this year's state event.

Not long after he concluded his practice, he was told the PIAA was pressing pause on all winter sports championships.

“I didn't believe it at first,” Maziarz said.

It wasn't totally unexpected.

Maziarz said he had heard talk that the competition would be postponed or outright canceled.

Still, he didn't want to let himself give in to those thoughts.

“You get in the headspace that it's just a rumor, that it isn't going to be canceled,” he said. “You have to approach it that way.”

Now like North Catholic diving teammate Maggie Foley, who was also seeded first in the Class AA girls 1-meter diving, and other Butler County swimmers, Maziarz is in limbo.

Maziarz, who is a member of the Pitt Diving Club, intends to practice with them until the state meet is rescheduled.

But he is concerned his club will shut down, too.

“If my club closes, my school doesn't have a pool and I won't be able to practice,” Maziarz said.

Unlike basketball, hockey and bowling — sports that also had championships suspended by the PIHL and WPIBL — divers are not on equal footing when it comes to postponement.

Maziarz's dives are complex and technically advanced, which gives him an edge during competitions. Without a chance to practice, he fears he won't be able to do as well if an when he gets a chance.

“I don't know how I'm expected to go defend a title in that situation,” Maziarz said. “I need to be at the top of my game.”

The unknown is the worst part, he said.

“Is it ended? No one has answers,” Maziarz said.

Trettel is trying to remain upbeat.

She said she will be in the pool every day, preparing for the championships should they come in two weeks or two months.

“I didn't think it was possible, but I have to stay positive,” the junior said.

That's impossible to do for the Class AAA swimmers who saw their seasons — and in some cases careers — come to an abrupt end.

Butler senior Laura Goettler won a state championship in the 100-yard breaststroke Thursday.

Just not the way she wanted to be one.

Goettler swam the best time in the preliminaries in the event and was gearing up for the final when the state pulled the plug, canceling the remainder of the meet and sending competitors home.

“It definitely feels like I wasn't truly able to get that title with a swim that I felt was deserving of it,” Goettler said. “But I'm glad it ended on that note.”

Goettler was fortunate.

She said she was saving strength for the final, but still went out and swam fast.

That wasn't the case for everyone.

“We were all pretty upset and frustrated when we were told the rest was canceled,” Goettler said. “Every swimmer I talked to save up a lot for the final and didn't place as high as they could have, or swam a time that they could have.”

That included Seneca Valley senior Owen Blazer, who placed third in his preliminary race in the 100-yard backstroke with a time more than a second slower than his top seed mark.

“It's tough,” he said. “I swam so well yesterday. There's just not much you can do. The decision had to be made. It's just tough to see so many people put in so much hard work and for it to end this way.”