Freeport's Alexis Schrecongost will be attempting to win a second straight breaststroke title when she hits the water in the WPIAL Class 2A championship swim meet this week.

She will likely see a very familiar face taking the podium for the first time. Her younger sister, Kira Schrecongost, has turned in a breakout freshman season.

In her very first varsity meet in mid-December, Kira broke the school record in the butterfly with a time of 59.81 seconds.

"It still hasn't hit her what she accomplished. She expected to go even faster," Freeport coach Nikki Heasley said at the time.

Kira has bettered her standard multiple times since and enters Thursday's meet at the University of Pittsburgh ranked first in the district at 57.53. She is also ranked second in the 200 individual medley.

While new to varsity swimming, Kira's success is the product of years of determination.

"She's been a dedicated swimmer since she was a little kid," said Heasley.

"I'm not surprised at all at what she's done because she has worked really hard," added Alexis, who is seeded second in the breaststroke, .76 seconds behind Indiana's Peyton Scott. The former won last year's title with a time of 1:06.03.

"My best time now is 1:05.94," said Alexis. "I want to repeat as champion, but my biggest goal is to improve my time."

Heasley isn't betting against her.

"I think her chances of repeating are good," she said. "When she sets her sights on something, she really goes after it."

Boys

Knoch senior Caden Traggiai knew coming into the season that he would probably be the lone boy swimming for the Knights.

"I was still dead-set on competing because I knew I could still focus on my individual events," he said. "I'm friends with all of the swimmers on the girls team. They motivate me, my coaches and family motivate me and I motivate myself."

During Traggiai's freshman season, he was one of 15 members for Knoch's boys. But last year, the Knights hitting the water numbered just three.

"Being the only boy swimming for us has made Caden a more mature swimmer because he has to push himself," said Knoch coach Dominique Patrick. "That will benefit him as he prepares to swim in college."

Traggiai relishes the team atmosphere he receives as a member of Butler's YMCA squad and the work he puts in with the Barracudas has helped his progress in the 200 and 500 freestyles.

He is ranked sixth and fourth, respectively, in those events entering WPIALs.

"I broke the school record in the 500 last year (4:50) and my best time in the 200 (1:48) is just one second off the school record," said Traggiai, who will attend and compete at Wilmington College in Ohio. "My goal is to break both and give myself a shot at getting to states.

"I feel I'm closer to getting there in the 500," he added. "I started to swim more distance for the YMCA team this year."

North Catholic won its first-ever section title this year and the team seems primed to earn a bevy of medals.

The Trojans have a number of entries seeded in the top eight, led by their second-seeded 200 freestyle relay team of Matthew Littleton, Jackson Kress, John Lamb and Julian LaPietra.

Individually, Kress and Littleton are ranked third in the backstroke and butterfly, respectively.

"I didn't go as fast during the season as I would have liked, but I like to think of myself as an end-of-the-season swimmer," Littleton said. "Winning the section was one of our goals, but not as big as winning the WPIAL (team) title. It's definitely within our reach."

Mars senior Nathan Silsby is seeded fifth in the 50 freestyle. He placed 12th in the event last year.

"Nathan kinda came out of nowhere for us," said Planets' coach Todd Slobodnyak. "He joined the team halfway through his sophomore season, really hit the water hard last year and has dropped a lot of time this season."

Following are Butler County's Class 2A swimmers who have qualified for the WPIAL Championships, scheduled Thursday and Friday at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool.

Girls

Knoch, Freeport

North Catholic

200 medley relay: 2-Freeport (Caitlyn Brennan, Alexis Schrecongost, Kira Schrecongost, Isabelle Barton) 1:51.26; 20-North Catholic (Maddie Manczka, Poppy Roig, Katie Ravasio, Sophia Piotropaolo) 2:05.41

200 freestyle: 13-Isabelle Barton (F) 2:05.77; 22-Katie Ravasio (NC) 2:08.50

200 individual medley: 2-Kira Schrecongost (F) 2:11.52; 9-Giona Lavorini (K) 2:18.08; 18-Mary Anne Altman (F) 2:25.67

50 freestyle: 24-Mary Anne Altman (F) 26.55

100 butterfly: 1-Kira Schrecongost (F) 57.53; 9-Caitlyn Brennan (F) 1:02.49

200 freestyle relay: 5-Freeport 1:43.56; 17-North Catholic (Alexandra Gongas, Maddie Manczka, Sophia Piotropaolo, Maddy Dietrich) 1:50.70

100 freestyle: 4-Alexis Schrecongost (F) 53.75; 24-Maddie Manczka (NC) 58.85

500 freestyle: 13-Katie Ravasio (NC) 5:44.15; 14-Isabelle Barton (F) 5:44.17

100 backstroke: 6-Caitlyn Brennan (F) 1:04.00; 8-Maddie Manczka (NC) 1:04.15

100 breaststroke: 2-Alexis Schrecongost (F) 1:06.33; 7-Giona Lavorini (K) 1:08.34; 26-Danielle Parke (F) 1:15.02

400 freestyle relay: 8-Freeport 3:54.80; 17-North Catholic (Alexandra Gongas, Katie Ravasio, Alaina Hicks, Sophia Piotropaolo) 4:05.30

Boys

Mars, Knoch

Freeport, North Catholic

200 medley relay: 4-North Catholic (Luke Lamb, John Lamb, Matthew Littleton, Julian LaPietra) 1:41.80; 11-Mars 1:47.66

200 freestyle: 6-Caden Traggiai (K) 1:49.67; 15-Nathan Tarbi (F) 1:55.14; 23-Ben Capozzi (NC) 1:58.33; 25-Owen Schessler (NC) 1:59.37

200 individual medley: 4-Jackson Kress (NC) 1:59.71; 13-Luke Lamb (NC) 2:11.00;

50 freestyle: 5-Nathan Silsby (M) 22.92; 15-Leo Saver (M) 23.89

100 butterfly: 3-Matthew Littleton (NC) 53.44; 11-Jacob Harsch (M) 56.92; 15-Tyler Moretti (F) 58.16

200 freestyle relay: 2-North Catholic (Matthew Littleton, Jackson Kress, John Lamb, Julian LaPietra) 1:31.01; 7-Mars 1:33.69; 17-Freeport (Blair Beck, Nathan Tarbi, Tyler Moretti, Angelo Porco) 1:39.91

100 freestyle: 4-Julian LaPietra (NC) 48.93; 9-Nathan Silsby (M) 50.69; 12-Jacob Harsch (M) 51.11; 15-Nathan Tarbi (F) 52.08; 23-Tyler Moretti (F) 52.99; 26-Leo Saver (M) 53.47

500 freestyle: 4-Caden Traggiai (K) 4:55.45; 12-Owen Schessler (NC) 5:12.89; 14-Ben Capozzi (NC) 5:14.76

100 backstroke: 3-Jackson Kress (NC) 54.17; 6-Luke Lamb (NC) 56.24;

100 breaststroke: 4-John Lamb (NC) 1:02.77; 18-Sean Muchnok (M) 1:08.14

400 freestyle relay: 4-North Catholic (Matthew Littleton, John Lamb, Jackson Kress, Julian LaPietra) 3:22.80; 12-Mars 3:38.64; 17-Freeport (Blair Beck, Nathan Tarbi, Tyler Moretti, Angelo Porco) 3:43.89