When Braden Zukowski looks up at the electronic timing board following the 100-yard breaststroke Friday at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool, he will be much more interested in the numbers to the right of his name as opposed to the single digit to the left.

“My best time in the breaststroke is (1:00.14) from last year at WPIALs,” said Zukowski, a Knoch senior whose seed time of 1:02.73 has him ranked first in WPIAL Class AA boys entering the district meet, which begins Thursday. “Dropping time is much more important than winning.

“It's always been my best event,” he added of the breaststroke. “I've always been decent at it. I picked up distance events for a while when I was younger, but that went away quickly.”

Of course, taking home a district championship would be sweet icing on the cake if Zukowski achieves a career-best time.

“He's had good results all season,” said Knights' coach Shane Frishkorn. “He's been working hard and it shows up in his ranking.”

Which matters little to Zukowski.

“My top seed doesn't matter,” he said. “You have to perform on the day of the event. Our school record in the breast is John Wilson's 58.6 and I'd like to break it. I'll try my best and see where that gets me.”

Zukowski will also be competing on Knoch's 200 medley (seeded fourth) and 200 freestyle (sixth) relays.

“We want to get both relays to states,” he said. “It's more fun there with more people.”

Knoch's Zach Wilson is seeded third in the 50 freestyle.

Girls

Freeport's Alexis Schrecongost placed fifth in the 200 individual medley last year. Now a sophomore, she's eyeing an even better finish in the 200 freestyle and enters the district meet ranked second, just .33 seconds behind Indiana's Parker Fanella.

“She qualified in every event, but has really worked on her freestyle over the last year. She's gotten stronger and quicker,” said Freeport coach Nikki Heasley.

Schrecongost is also seeded second in the breaststroke, in which she placed third last year. Her teammate, Brooke Welling, is ranked second in the 100 freestyle and fifth in the 200 freestyle.

“The focus for Alexis and Brooke is to get their best times,” said Heasley. “Hopefully, they're fast enough to get to states.”

An illness earlier this season hindered Brittney Carmazzi's progress. It's now behind her and the North Catholic junior is looking forward to a memorable WPIAL meet.

She currently has the best time in the district in the butterfly at 58.75. She placed second in that event last year.

“I missed about a month this year,” said Carmazzi. “It's been a rough season, but I feel confident. My seed time came in a meet against Shady Side Academy last month.

“I'm still nervous, though, because I know the competition will be really good.”

Unlike in past seasons, when multiple WPIAL swimmers qualified automatically for states, only the winner of each event is guaranteed to advance. All other times will be put up against non-district title efforts from across the state to determine the PIAA field.

The Class AA championships are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

Following are Butler County’s Class 2A swimmers who will be competing in the WPIAL Swimming Championships, scheduled 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.GirlsKnoch, Freeport, North Catholic200 medley relay: 2-North Catholic 1:53.35; 19-Freeport 2:04.9200 freestyle: 2-Alexis Schrecongost (F) 1:58.09; 5-Brooke Welling (F) 2:00.7; 7-Ainsley Bissett (NC) 2:01.77; 22-Katie Ravasio (NC) 2:09.43200 individual medley: 13-Emma Kunzmann (NC) 2:21.37; 25-Maria Wilson (K) 2:27.37100 butterfly: 1-Brittney Carmazzi (NC) 58.75; 9-Madison Moretti (F) 1:01.71100 freestyle: 2-Brooke Welling (F) 54.37; 9-Madison Moretti (F) 56.2; 28-Maddie Manczka (NC) 58.86500 freestyle: 5-Ainsley Bissett (NC) 5:21.23; 17-Katie Ravasio (NC) 5:48.97200 freestyle relay: 5-Freeport 1:44.54; 12-North Catholic 1:50.24; 14-Knoch (Krystle Ekas, Izzy Frodert, Maria Wilson, Amelia Walls) 1:50.96100 backstroke: 7-Emma Kunzmann (NC) 1:01.58; 8-Brittney Carmazzi (NC) 1:02.43; 23-Maddie Manczka (NC) 1:06.52; 30-Lily Lamb (NC) 1:07.28100 breaststroke: 2-Alexis Schrecongost (F) 1:07.4400 freestyle relay: 5-Freeport 3:50.09; 9-North Catholic 3:57.41BoysKnoch, Mars, North Catholic200 medley relay: 4-Knoch (Zach Wilson, Braden Zukowski, Caden Traggiai, Lachlan King) 1:44.8; 6-North Catholic 1:45.47; 16-Mars (Leo Saver, Jacob Harsch, Hayden Silsby, Will Allison) 1:52.42200 freestyle: 5-Aidan Wolf (M) 1:52.06; 15-Zach Leachman (M) 1:56.42; 17-Caden Traggiai (K) 1:56.63; 22-Zack Baker (NC) 1:57.99200 individual medley: 5-Jackson Kress (NC) 2:04.19; 8-Braden Zukowski (K) 2:05.56; 13-John Lamb (NC) 2:09.57; 21-Sam Schirra* (Aquinas Academy) 2:14.6450 freestyle: 3-Zach Wilson (K) 22.55; 21-Julian LaPietra (NC) 23.97; 23-Lachlan King (K) 24.02; 27-Leo Saver (M) 24.1100 butterfly: 5-Matthew Littleton (NC) 55.12; 14-Hayden Silsby (M) 57.71; 21-Sam Schirra* (Aquinas Academy) 59.07; 28-Tony Ravasio (NC) 1:00.83100 freestyle: 16-Julian LaPietra (NC) 52.58; 23-Lachlan King (K) 53.49; 27-Jacob Harsch (M) 53.71;500 freestyle: 6-Aidan Wolf (M) 5:02.81; 10-Zach Leachman (M) 5:14.25; 11-Caden Traggiai (K) 5:15.0; 15-Zack Baker (NC) 5:18.9; 20-Ben Capozzi (NC) 5:27.79200 freestyle relay: 6-Knoch (Zach Wilson, Nick Ferraro, Caden Traggiai, Braden Zukowski) 1:34.31; 19-North Catholic 1:39.41100 backstroke: 4-Jackson Kress (NC) 56.54; 7-Matthew Littleton (NC) 57.12; 8-Zach Wilson (K) 57.17; 9-John Lamb (NC) 57.38100 breaststroke: 1-Braden Zukowski (K) 1:02.73400 freestyle relay: 10-North Catholic 3:32.63; 13-Mars (Aidan Wolf, Will Allison, Jacob Harsch, Zach Leachman) 3:36.05*Butler County resident