SLIPPERY ROCK — Kirby Burns knew his Slippery Rock High girls swimming team was going to be good, but he admits that he didn't know it would be as dominating as it has been over the last two seasons.

The Rockets recently won a region title with a perfect 12-0 record for the second straight campaign.

“It’s been a bit of a pleasant surprise,” said Burns, in the fifth year of his second stint as coach of the Rockets. He is assisted by Bob Massella. “We’ve hit the jackpot with some swimmers who have really developed well over the last few years.

“Our closest meet this season was against Titusville. They had a bigger roster, but we had the better swimmers and we beat them by 30 points.”

The Rockets are preparing for the District 10 Class 2A championship meet, scheduled Friday and Saturday at SPIRE Institute in Ohio. Current senior Grace Olshanski earned the team’s lone district title in 2022 in the 50-yard freestyle and Slippery Rock placed seventh as a team. They are primed to improve on that showing.

Sophomore Mollie Massella is ranked first in the 200 freestyle (1:59.44) and the 100 butterfly (59.16). The latter time is a school record achieved in mid-February.

Olshanski is No. 2 in the 50 freestyle, .35 seconds behind Cathedral Prep’s Haley Palmer. The same two swimmers lead the rankings in the 100 freestyle. The Rockets’ 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays are both ranked No. 2.

Season Grant, Ann-Katherine Burns, Natalie Double and Olshanski teamed up to break the school standard in the 200 free relay, completing the event in 1:42.36 in January.

“I’m happy with the way the season has gone so far, but I can definitely go faster at districts,” said Massella, a sophomore. “Practices are competitive and it’s great to be able to race against other really good simmers on the team.”

Ann-Katherine Burns, another sophomore, began swimming for the Slippery Rock Eels club team over a decade ago. She will hit the water this week in the 50 freestyle and breaststroke as well as two relays.

“I’m high-energy and always have to be doing something,” she said of what keeps her dedicated to the sport. “You’re going up against the other swimmers, but more than that, you’re competing against your own time and I like that.”

Following are the Slippery Rock High School swimmers who have qualified for the District 10 Class 2A Championships, scheduled Friday and Saturday at SPIRE Institute in Ohio. Each entry is preceded by their ranking.

Girls

200 medley relay: 2-Slippery Rock (N.Double, A.K.Burns, Mo.Massella, G.Olshanski)

200 freestyle: 1-Mollie Massella, 14-Madison Gauselmann, 21-Sarah McCandless, 22-Kaitlyn Parson

200 individual medley: 18-Elise Cagle

50 freestyle: 2-Grace Olshanski, 4-Ann-Katherine Burns, 12-Season Grant

100 butterfly: 1-Mollie Massella, 8-Tessa Szymanski, 9-Maggie Massella, 19-Madison Gauselmann

100 freestyle: 2-Grace Olshanski, 6-Natalie Double, 18-Season Grant

500 freestyle: 14-Tessa Szymanski, 25-Sarah McCandless

200 freestyle relay: 2-Slippery Rock (S.Grant, A.K. Burns, N.Double, G.Olshanski)

100 backstroke: 3-Natalie Double, 21-Elise Cagle, 22-Maggie Massella

100 breaststroke: 4-Ann-Katherine Burns, 15-Kaitlyn Parson

400 freestyle relay: 6-Slippery Rock (S.Grant, T.Szymanski, M.Gauselmann, M.Massella)

Boys

200 medley relay: 12-Slippery Rock (C.Wallace, C.Hartle, K.Bowser, V.Zahn)

200 individual medley: 6-Cody Hartle

50 freestyle: 10-Connor Wallace

100 butterfly: 10-Kevin Bowser, 11-Cody Hartle

100 freestyle: 13-Connor Wallace

200 freestyle relay: 12-Slippery Rock (K.Bowser, V.Zahn, C.Hartle, C.Wallace)

100 backstroke: 14-Kevin Bowser

400 freestyle relay: 9-Slippery Rock (G.Kingston, T.Foster, J.Dropp, V.Zahn)