Maggie Gruber has a fairly simple outlook when it comes to swimming, but it's worked wonders for the Mars junior.

Gruber already has WPIAL Class AA girls backstroke and butterfly titles to her credit — she topped the district field in both last season — and she will be looking for more this week.

The WPIAL Championships will take place Thursday and Friday at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool.

Gruber is ranked first in the 100-yard butterfly (57.17 seconds) and 100 backstroke (57.39), more than three seconds faster than the second seed in both events.

Some high school athletes may shy away from being the hunted, but Gruber takes it all in stride.

“I really am just swimming against myself out there, against the clock,” she said. “I just want to go out and get best times in my events.”

Mars coach Heidi Brandon gets to see Gruber in action all the time, but it never gets old for the former.

“There is no ceiling for her,” said Brandon. “She's even young for a junior, her (17th birthday) isn't until August. She's more self-confident this season. It's cool to watch.”

Gruber also has two state titles to her credit — she has won the last two PIAA butterfly titles — but she most enjoys the camaraderie with her teammates.

“We almost won the section title this season,” she said. “Shady Side Academy beat us out, but we did really well and that was very memorable for me.

“Just doing well for the team, all the other girls. It's a great atmosphere and is very motivating for me.”

Gruber will also be part of the Planets' 200 medley relay (seeded third) and the 400 freestyle relay (fifth).

The team's 200 free relay is seeded ninth and includes Hannah Webb, Nicole Parrish, Phoebe Pierre and Amanda Alikhani.

“I'd love for us to get all three relays to states,” said Brandon, “but our best chance is in the medley relay.”

n Knoch junior Anna Cunningham enters WPIALs sixth in the 100 backstroke and eighth in the 100 freestyle.

“She's had a great year and worked hard in the offseason,” said Knights coach Rick Hassler. “We expected big things out of her and she delivered.”

This will be Cunningham's third trip to the district championship meet.

“I've spent the whole season just focusing on improving and doing better at WPIALs,” she said. “I'd really like to get to states in both events.”

She also aims to break Knoch's school record in the 100 freestyle (55.15) and the backstroke (1:02.51). Her times are currently 0.76 seconds and 2.19 seconds short of the standards, respectively.

n Freeport's Bria Otwell may be just a freshman, but she undoubtedly belongs in the conversation of swimmers to watch at this week's event.

Ranked second in the 200 IM and fourth in the 500 freestyle, Otwell's initial WPIAL campaign has not come as a surprise to Freeport coach Lori Dudek.

“She's been a highly-ranked Allegheny Mountain swimmer for several years,” said Dudek. “We have great hopes she can do well this week. She's well prepared.”

Class AA Boys

Mars' Jack Muehlheuser is planning on making a splash at his fourth and final WPIAL meet.

The senior's time of 53.59 seconds in the 100 backstroke and 2:05.19 in the 200 individual medley are first and fourth in the district, respectively.

Last season, he placed sixth in the IM and fourth in the backstroke.

“I've been here before, so I know what to expect and that helps,” said Muehlheuser. “Those experiences help you mature, help you set different goals.”

Brandon is not shy about her hopes for Muehlheuser in the backstroke event.

“He's been working on it for four years,” she said. “He's a senior and the goal is to win it.”

Muehlheuser's teammate, sophomore Chris Georgiadis, is also highly seeded in two individual events — second in the 200 IM and third in the 500 freestyle.

“Right now I feel I'm better in the IM, but we'll see how that plays out at WPIALs,” said Georgiadis. “I'm really excited to see what happens.”

Mars freshman Francis Folz is ranked second in the 200 freestyle and fourth in the 500 freestyle.

The Planets' 200 medley relay squad of Muehlheuser, Georgiadis, Thomas Pierre and Reed McDonough is ranked first.

The 400 free quartet of Folz, Pierre, Georgiadis and Muehlheuser is second.

n Ian Lindsey admits he wasn't expecting the type of season he's had.

“I never thought I'd be seeded as high (fifth in the breaststroke), but I'm really happy with it,” said the Knoch junior. “I've done well in the breaststroke ever since I was a little kid swimming for SEBCO.”

“He dropped two seconds from his time in the breaststroke last year at WPIALs,” said Hassler of Lindsey. “He worked awfully hard to improve this season.”

Lindsey also is part of the Knights' 200 medley relay (seeded seventh). The squad also includes Chadd Cummings, Nathan Walls and Austin Wittmer.

Cummings, Wittmer, Walls and Matt Wilson have Knoch ranked fifth in the 400 freestyle relay.

Note: The top-four finishers in each event qualify for the PIAA Class AA meet, to be held at Bucknell University in mid-March.

Following are the Mars, Knoch and Freeport swimmers who have qualified for the WPIAL Class AA Championships, to be held Thursday and Friday at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool. Each swimmer's name is preceded by his/her seed and followed by the seed time.<B>Girls</B><B>200 medley relay:</B> 3-Mars (Maggie Gruber, Caroline Pacey, Nicole Parrish, Torrey Shields) 1:55.18; 13-Freeport (Bria Otwell, Kylie Lucas, Megan Sweeny, Rebecca Dudek) 2:05.0; 21-Knoch (Katie Jones, Shannon Simpson, Hannah Shoemaker, Maranda Tano) 2:06.76<B>200 freestyle:</B> 18-Rebecca Dudek (F) 2:08.28; 20-Madison Whalen (K) 2:08.48; 24-Amanda Alikhani (M) 2:09.39; 25-Caroline Pacey (M) 2:09.42<B>200 individual medley:</B> 2-Bria Otwell (F) 2:12.88; 19-Nicole Parrish (M) 2:26.53<B>50 freestyle:</B> 11-Torrey Shields (M) 26.07<B>100 butterfly:</B> 1-Maggie Gruber (M) 57.17; 12-Nicole Parrish (M) 1:03.43; 19-Madison Whalen (K) 1:05.73<B>100 freestyle:</B> 8-Anna Cunningham (K) 55.91; 16-Caroline Pacey (M) 57.47; 24-Rebecca Dudek (F) 58.02<B>500 freestyle:</B> 4-Bria Otwell (F) 5:16.14; 11-Amanda Alikhani (M) 5:39.23; 19-Phoebe Pierre (M) 5:46.25; 22-Jessica Ott (M) 5:48.79<B>200 freestyle relay:</B> 9-Mars (Hannah Webb, Nicole Parrish, Phoebe Pierre, Amanda Alikhani) 1:46.88; 25-Knoch (Katie Jones, Hannah Shoemaker, Madison Whalen, Anna Cunningham) 1:52.56<B>100 backstroke:</B> 1-Maggie Gruber (M) 57.39; 6-Anna Cunningham (K) 1:04.7<B>100 breaststroke:</B> 17-Torrey Shields (M) 1:15.79; 22-Jenny Allen (K) 1:16.22<B>400 freestyle relay:</B> 5-Mars (Caroline Pacey, Amanda Alikhani, Torrey Shields, Maggie Gruber) 3:52.57; 15-Knoch (Katie Jones, Maranda Tano, Madison Whalen, Anna Cunningham) 4:08.16; 18-Freeport (Rebecca Dudek, Riley Farnath, Megan Sweeny, Bria Otwell) 4:09.83<B>Boys</B><B>200 medley relay:</B> 1-Mars (Jack Muehlheuser, Thomas Pierre, Chris Georgiadis, Reed McDonough) 1:42.23; 7-Knoch (Chadd Cummings, Ian Lindsey, Nathan Walls, Austin Wittmer) 1:46.45<B>200 freestyle:</B> 2-Francis Folz (M) 1:49.78; 10-Reed McDonough (M) 1:54.35; 11-Thomas Pierre (M) 1:54.39; 19-Austin Wittmer (K) 1:57.34<B>200 individual medley:</B> 2-Chris Georgiadis (M) 2:01.59; 4-Jack Muehlheuser (M) 2:05.19; 11-Ian Lindsey (K) 2:11.97<B>50 freestyle:</B> 12-Matt Wilson (K) 23.5<B>100 butterfly:</B> 21-Nathan Walls (K) 1:00.13; 22-Matt Wilson (K) 1:00.15; 27-Jacob Shoemaker (K) 1:01.01; 31-Chadd Cummings (K) 1:01.63<B>100 freestyle:</B> 1-<B>500 freestyle:</B> 3-Chris Georgiadis (M) 4:54.81; 4-Francis Folz (M) 4:59.08; 7-Thomas Pierre (M) 5:01.97; 15-Nathan Walls (K) 5:19.72; 25-Jacob Shoemaker (K) 5:34.78<B>200 freestyle relay:</B> 15-Knoch (Matt Wilson, Joe Hutchinson, Mike Kasunic, Jacob Shoemaker) 1:39.02<B>100 backstroke:</B> 1-Jack Muehlheuser (M) 53.59; 10-Austin Wittmer (K) 1:00.34; 11-Reed McDonough (M) 1:00.34<B>100 breaststroke:</B> 5-Ian Lindsey (K) 1:04.39; 8-Chadd Cummings (K) 1:04.81<B>400 freestyle relay:</B> 2-Mars (Francis Folz, Thomas Pierre, Chris Georgiadis, Jack Muehlheuser) 3:21.75; 5-Knoch (Matt Wilson, Nathan Walls, Austin Wittmer, Chadd Cummings) 3:32.08