BUTLER TWP — It helps any high school athletic program to have kids who set the bar high.

They are very clear-cut for Butler's diving teams. Senior Jon Hansotte and Paige Williams are leading the way for the boys and girls, respectively.

Both easily won the diving event in Thursday's home meet against North Allegheny, Hansotte with a score of 247.2 and Williams posted a 244.4.

Though he picked up the sport just over two years ago, Hansotte has a chance to make the last six weeks of his high school career very memorable. He placed 11th at the WPIAL championship meet last year. The top five at this year's event will qualify for the state meet in March.

“Right off the bat this year, I did really well,” said Hansotte. “That's when I knew it could be a special season if I kept at it.”

“He had a great meet tonight,” said Butler coach Ken Bedford. “If he can do that two weeks from now (at the WPIAL meet), we could be looking at top five. It's just a matter of putting 11 dives together.”

For Bedford, there is no secret behind Hansotte's improvement. It's very obvious.

“When he came to me in the middle of his sophomore year, he was a little, scrawny kid,” said Bedford. “What he's done to himself physically is amazing. He has really put himself together and everything he has done comes back to that.”

Hansotte does not just love the competition end of diving, he has embraced the work in between meets.

“I love practicing and perfecting my dives,” he said. “If I practice well, I usually compete well.”

Like many divers, Williams has a background in gymnastics.

“At the end of my seventh-grade year, my back was sore from gymnastics,” she said. “I took up diving to relieve some of the pressure.

“My technique has really improved since then. I used to do a lot of gymnastic (type) dives. Now I'm doing them the way they're supposed to be done.”

That said, Williams had potential right from the start.

“I could tell right away that there was something special about Paige,” said Bedford. “She has progressed every year and now is as consistent as can be. She lands where she needs to land. It's automatic with her.”

Williams is primed to improve on her 16th-place effort at WPIALs last year, but is hoping for much more.

“I'm seeded 8th right now and am hoping to place between 6th and 10th. It's motivated me.”

Laura Goettler broke Butler's pool record in the girls 100-yard breaststroke with a finish of 1 minute, 4.64 seconds. The previous standard was 1:04.71 by Stephanie O'Toole in 2013.

Goettler also owns the school record in the event at 1:03.7.

Girls

North Allegheny 100. Butler 78

200 medley relay: 1-North Allegheny 1:55.15

200 freestyle: 1-Torie Buerger (NA) 1:59.98

200 individual medley: 1-Laura Goettler (B) 2:07.45

50 freestyle: 1-Ann Juneau (NA) 26.06

1-meter diving: 1-Paige Williams (B) 244.4

100 butterfly: 1-Torie Buerger (NA) 1:00.44

100 freestyle: 1-Rachel Ledford (B) 58.58

500 freestyle: 1-Olivia Kisow (NA) 5:28.13

200 freestyle relay: 1-North Allegheny 1:46.22

100 backstroke: 1-Ann Juneau (NA) 1:02.56

100 breaststroke: 1-Laura Goettler (B) 1:04.64

400 freestyle relay: 1-North Allegheny 3:48.77

Boys

North Allegheny 112, Butler 62

200 medley relay: 1-North Allegheny 1:35.56

200 freestyle: 1-Alex Deemer (B) 1:46.34

200 individual medley: 1-Andrew Zhang (NA) 1:54.89

50 freestyle: 1-Matthew Kuhn and Alex Grahor (NA) 23.31

1-meter diving: 1-Jon Hansotte (B) 247.2

100 butterfly: 1-Rick Mihm (NA) 50.29

100 freestyle: 1-Tyler Tieppo (NA) 54.12

500 freestyle: 1-Jack Wright (NA) 4:38.37

200 freestyle relay: 1-North Allegheny 1:25.38

100 backstroke: 1-Sam Deemer (B) 55.15

100 breaststroke: 1-Tim Compton (NA) 1:05.04

400 freestyle relay: 1-North Allegheny 3:08.75