PITTSBURGH — Maybe it's the fact that she came so close to winning last year.

Maybe it's the thought of all the work she's put in since picking up swimming at the age of 8.

Whatever the reason, Andrea McQueen won't be taking this achievement for granted.

The Freeport junior won the WPIAL Class AA title in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 53.52 seconds Friday at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool.

Seeded first entering the event, McQueen beat out Montour's Katie Matuszewski by .35 seconds.

"I saw where she was on the last turn, and I didn't want her to win. I just went for the wall," said McQueen

McQueen was seeded first in the same event last year, but finished second. She also finished second as a freshman.

"She's there," said Freeport coach Gregg McQueen about his daughter's mental and physical abilities. "I could tell watching her in the relays (Thursday) that she was ready for today."

"It feels real good," Andrea said of her district title. "One of my goals since my freshman year was to win here in the 100 free."

McQueen later placed second in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:07.98 and will head to the state meet in that event as well.

Coming in right behind McQueen in the breaststroke was Knoch sophomore Rachel Tano.

Tano's time of 1:08.72 bettered her previous personal best, set last season when she placed 12th at the WPIAL meet, by nearly three seconds.

"This is definitely the best swim I've ever had," Tano said of her third-place finish. "I never thought I'd be going to states as a sophomore. This is amazing."

A day after placing second in the boys 200 freestyle, Mars' Jeff Gavin was a runner-up in the 500 freestyle with a finish of 4:51.87. The only swimmer to top Gavin was Hampton's Jack Zierenberg.

Other swimmers who medaled (top eight) included Mars' Chloe Pierre in the girls 100 breaststroke (eighth, 1:10.95), Freeport's Gail Erickson in the 100 backstroke (eighth, 1:02.51) and the Mars girls 400 freestyle relay squad of Rachel Szymkowiak, Chloe Pierre, Gabri Pierre and Courtney Shields, which placed eighth with a time of 3:48.99.