BUTLER TWP — Butler swimmers Noah Collins, Jackson Morgus, Keaton Matteson and Ben Grossman have all competed at the WPIAL championship meet before, but they each agree that there’s a different vibe to preparing for this year’s event.

It's the type of excitement that comes from knowing that you're already seeded in medal position with the opportunity to achieve much more.

The quartet will be swimming the 200-yard medley relay and 200 freestyle relay Thursday at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool. They are seeded eight (1:40.40) and seventh (1:29.74), respectively, meaning they will be in the fastest heat in both relays.

"The biggest difference is the guys have all bought in to the dry-land training schedule," said Butler coach Troy Kroll. "I have a good feeling about this group."

As Matteson explained, that schedule has been ramped up from the previous plan.

"We're in the gym or weight room, sometimes three days in a week," he said. "Before, we'd do it in October and November, but now it's year-round."

That dedication has made the foursome stronger and faster and has the swimmers thinking big this week.

"We are only a few seconds off from breaking the school record in both events (1:36.22 in the medley and 1:25.82 in the 200 freestyle)," said Morgus. "If each of us drops a second, it could happen. Everybody has been working hard and we feel good.

"Mental preparedness is very important. You need to see your swim before you actually compete."

As big as the WPIAL meet is, Butler's swimmers are striving to have it not be their last competition this season.

"A lot of the really good swimmers at WPIALs are more focused on what they can do at states," said Collins. "Hopefully, we can get there as well."

The quartet did not have such high hopes when the season began in December. In fact, its seed time in both relays was not achieved until the final meet of the regular season against Seneca Valley.

"We noticed as the season went on that we were keeping up with other teams and we weren't able to do that in the past," said Grossman. "You look at results from the WPIAL meet and the relays are usually close. The exchanges can make a big difference and we've been working a lot on them in practice."

In the medley relay, Butler will send out Morgus first for the backstroke leg, followed by Grossman (breaststroke), Matteson (butterfly) and Collins (freestyle). The order in the 200 freestyle will be Matteson, Grossman, Morgus and Collins.

Individually, Matteson owns Butler's top seed, ranked fifth in the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.84 seconds. He was seeded 22nd entering last year's WPIAL meet.

"It's been a journey for me, a lot of work in and out of the pool," he said.

Following are Butler County's Class 3A swimmers who have qualified for the WPIAL Championship meet, scheduled Thursday and Friday at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool.

Girls

Butler, Mars,

Seneca Valley

200 medley relay: 2-Seneca Valley 1:47.66; 17-Butler 1:57.85

200 freestyle: 10-Morgan Baker (SV) 1:58.45; 30-Abigail Vance (B) 2:03.00; 31-Bryn Wilson (M) 2:03.01; 34-Mara Josephson (SV) 2:03.14; 36-Taryn Wilson (SV) 2:03.32

200 individual medley: 5-Alissa Wilson (SV) 2:09.95; 13-Katie Bookwalter (SV) 2:14.06; 14-Madisen Newton (SV) 2:14.75; 17-Addison Vance (B) 2:15.99

50 freestyle: 4-Sasha Myers (SV) 24.72; 9-Lena Rothrock (SV) 24.94; 11-Audrey Wolfe (SV) 25.09; 18-Sarah Maloney (M) 25.80

100 butterfly: 7-Bella Kling (SV) 58.53; 14-Elle Alexander (SV) 1:00.79; 17-Bryn Wilson (M) 1:01.47; 19-Mya King (SV) 1:02.16; 22-Addison Vance (B) 1:02.56; 25-Sonya Dietz (SV) 1:02.92

100 freestyle: 5-Sasha Myers (SV) 53.77; 8-Morgan Baker (SV) 54.69; 10-Audrey Wolfe (SV) 54.97; 16-Reagan Connelly (M) 55.83; 20-Abigail Vance (B) 55.92; 25-Emma Pflugh (B) 56.18

500 freestyle: 13-Alissa Wilson (SV) 5:22.43; 24-Addy Molinero (SV) 5:30.08; 28-Brynn Flatt (SV) 5:31.26; 31-Taryn Wilson (SV) 5:31.74

200 freestyle relay: 6-Seneca Valley 1:39.95; 16-Mars (Wilson, Connelly, Maloney, Symchak) 1:45.49; 17-Butler 1:45.58

100 backstroke: 8-Bella Kling (SV) 1:00.42; 12-Madisen Newton (SV) 1:00.67; 13-Lena Rothrock (SV) 1:00.91; 14-Reagan Connelly (M) 1:01.68; 23-Elle Alexander (SV) 1:02.88

100 breaststroke: 4-Katie Bookwalter (SV) 1:05.25; 23-Julie DeMeio (B) 1:12.22

400 freestyle relay: 1-Seneca Valley 3:35.85; 14-Mars (Wilson, Connelly, Maloney, Symchak) 3:50.95; 15-Butler 3:51.26

Boys

Butler, Seneca Valley

200 medley relay: 8-Butler (Morgus, Grossman, Matteson, Collins) 1:40.40; 22-Seneca Valley (Snow, Barnett, Stahl, Stevens) 1:49.45

200 freestyle: 16-Noah Collins (B) 1:49.68

50 freestyle: 5-Keaton Matteson (B) 21.84

100 freestyle: 16-Noah Collins (B) 49.55; 18-Jackson Morgus (B) 49.97; 21-Keaton Matteson (B) 50.26

200 freestyle relay: 7-Butler (Matteson, Grossman, Morgus, Collins) 1:29.74; 21-Seneca Valley (Snow, Stahl, Stevens, Rubinosky) 1:36.88

100 backstroke: 15-Tyler Snow (SV) 57.77; 16-Jackson Morgus (B) 57.86

100 breaststroke: 19-Ben Grossman (B) 1:03.36

400 freestyle relay: 19-Seneca Valley (Snow, Stahl, Stevens, Rubinosky) 3:34.90