JACKSON TWP — Ten years afterward, former Seneca Valley swimming coach Tom Donati still gets excited when the subject turns to the Raiders' girls 200-yard medley relay team from 2005.

“I can remember it like it was yesterday,” he said. “What a story that was.”

Donati watched his quartet of Stacie Safritt, Mandie Huffman, Kylie Gamelier and Kelly Connolly win a state title with a school-record time of 1 minute, 47.1 seconds at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium.

The relay team was inducted into the Seneca Valley Sports Hall of Fame in October.

“What they accomplished, that's what a hall of fame is all about,” said Donati. “I'm so excited for the girls.”

This tale of triumph also has a hint of redemption at its core.

In 2004, Safritt, Huffman, Gamelier and Connolly won the WPIAL Class AAA title in the medley relay, but failed to medal at states by placing ninth.

“We came into the race last year a bit too cocky and it was a letdown when we didn't win,” Huffman said after helping bring gold to Seneca in 2005.

Donati had a strong enough team in 2005 that it was Elyse Dobrick, not Gamelier, who joined the other three swimmers in Seneca Valley's successful defense of its WPIAL title in the event at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool. But he believed that winning a state championship would require the squad to go even faster.

“I decided to have Kylie swim at states in place of Elyse,” said Donati. “It was a difficult move, but I believed we could get a faster time by doing it. Elyse deserves a lot of credit. It showed what kind of teammate she was.”

The Raiders entered the PIAA meet seeded fourth and turned in the best time in the preliminary round at 1:48.21.

“We knew that Parkland, Hempfield (District 3) and Emmaus would be our top competition,” Donati said in 2005. “We swam well during the morning session, but we sat the kids down and let them know that they needed to be faster.”

In the final, Safritt (backstroke) and Huffman (breaststroke) both held their own in the medley's first two strokes.

Gamelier then swam the event's fastest time in the butterfly leg (25.16).

When Connolly hit the water for the relay's final leg, the freestyle, the Raiders' lead was just half a body-length. But the sophomore swam a personal-best split time of 24.27.

That effort capped the school-record performance, one the Raiders needed to have as Parkland (1:47.39), Hempfield (1:47.42) and West Chester East (1:47.9) were all within eight-tenths of a second of Seneca.

Shortly after the win, SV's foursome stood atop the medals stand, creating a lasting memory for Gamelier.

“I remember looking over at Tom and he had tears in his eyes,” she said. “He was so proud of us.”

“The girls believed and on that day and in that moment, it happened for them,” said Donati. “It's a moment they won't forget, I won't forget. It's one of the highlights of my coaching career.”

The atmosphere at the state meet has been known to get the best of swimmers, both seasoned and inexperienced.

But Gamelier recalls how she and her teammates embraced it.

“It just depends on each individual swimmer,” she said. “You have to prepare mentally for a meet like that and we were a group that thrived on it. States was the peak of each season, it's what you worked for.”

The SV Sports Hall of Fame also inducted five individuals. They include:

Barb (Hamilton) Druschel (Class of 1980): Earned 10 combined letters in gymnastics (4), diving (3) and track and field (3). ... Her time of 15.9 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles during her junior year stood as SV's school record for 25 years. ... Broke the school standard in 1-meter diving several times her senior year.

Michael Schall (Class of 1997): Was a member of SV's first hockey team as an eighth-grader in 1992-93. ... Helped the Raiders go 19-4 and reach the state playoffs as a senior. That same season, he was named a Western Pennsylvania All-Star as a forward. Also starred at goalie on the ice for the Raiders. ... Was named to the Butler Eagle's Elite 11 Boys Soccer All-Star Team as a goalkeeper his senior season. ... Played two years of junior hockey in Ontario before dressing for Cortland State (N.Y.). ... Was the head coach of Seneca Valley's varsity ice hockey team 2004-08, leading the Raiders to the playoffs three times in four years.

Chris Tully (Class of 1998): Compiled an 80-39 record in four years on SV's varsity wrestling team. ... Helped the Raiders go 46-17 as a team in his four years, including 15-3 his senior year when he won a section title at 152 pounds. ... His 84 career escapes still rank among the best in school history. ... Also starred as a defender for SV's boys soccer team, earning Team MVP twice and being named to the Butler Eagle's Elite 11 Boys Soccer All-Star Team in 1997.

C.J. Brown (Class of 2009): Upon graduating, held SV football records in passing yards in a game (305), in a season (2,154) and career (3,847) and also touchdown passes in a career (25). ... Led the Raiders to the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in five years in 2007. ... Also played a key role in turning around the school's boys basketball program, starring as a guard/forward. ... Played football at the University of Maryland, where he tallied 5,167 passing yards and 33 touchdowns and added 1,731 rushing yards and 24 more scores.

Ralph Gross (Golf Coach): The 1948 Zelienople High School graduate took over SV's golf program in its third year (1966) and coached for 23 seasons. ... Totaled 170 wins and guided the Raiders to a third-place finish at WPIALs in 1984 and a Midwestern Athletic Conference title in 1985.