Blue Mountain's Noah Powers gets set to compete in the boys' 50 freestyle during Wednesday's PIAA Swimming Championships at Bucknell University (Photo by Leroy Boyer).

LEWISBURG — Noah Powers says he feels good today.

That’s bad news for the rest of the Class AA boys’ swimmers competing at the PIAA Swimming Championships at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.

The Blue Mountain senior posted three lightning-quick times and secured two medals during Wednesday’s preliminaries, leading a big morning for the Schuylkill League boys’ contingent.

Powers had the fastest time in the 50-yard freestyle, securing the No. 1 seed for Wednesday night’s finals in 20.44, more than a second faster than second-place Joshua Reed of Indiana (21.51).

He’ll look to win his second gold in that event and third overall when the boys’ finals begin at 6:55 p.m.

“I feel good … definitely a good race,” Powers said after the 50 free. “It’s a good time to have going into finals … just wanted to make it to finals. Get rested when I get back to the hotel, then get pumped up for the finals.”

Powers then went even faster moments later, recording a 50-yard split of 19.73 seconds to help the Blue Mountain 200 freestyle relay of Brody Moyer, Gabe Kamarousky, Aidan Varney and Powers clinch a medal with a fourth-place finish in 1:29.30.

The Eagles were in fifth place in their heat when Powers hit the water. He soared past three teams and nearly caught Mt. Pleasant (1:28.72) over the 50-yard span as Blue Mountain finished second in the heat.

Indiana posted the fastest time in the 200 free relay in 1:26.45, while Tunkhannock (1:28.23) was second, Mt. Pleasant third and Blue Mountain fourth.

Powers opened the day with a blazing breaststroke split of 26.31 to help Blue Mountain place ninth in 1:40.31 in the 200 medley relay. It was second-fastest split of any of the 24 relay teams in the event. Despite dropping 0.46 seconds from their District 11 runner-up time of 1:40.77, the Eagles’ foursome of Moyer, Powers, Porter Sarnes and Varney just missed a medal and will compete in tonight’s consolation finals.

Michael Strucko gave the Schuylkill League a third medalist when he placed seventh in the 200 freestyle in 1:45.18. It’s the first state medal for the Marian junior.

Other Schuylkill League boys’ finishes during Wednesday’s preliminaries: Blue Mountain’s Sarnes was 18th in the 200 freestyle (1:49.60), the Eagles’ Moyer took 20th in the 100 butterfly (54.78) and Schuylkill Haven’s Ethan Miller was 30th in the 200 IM in 2:05.94.

Wednesday’s sessions featured races in the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle relay. Thursday will include the Class AA Diving Championships and swimming competition in the 100 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and 400 freestyle relay.

For a look at how the Schuylkill League girls’ swimmers fared Wednesday morning, see related story: https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2025/03/12/piaa-girls-swimming-marians-strucko-10th-in-200-im-prelims/

PIAA Swimming Championships

Wednesday’s preliminaries

CLASS AA BOYS

200 medley relay — 1. Mt. Pleasant 1:34.87, 2. Erie Cathedral Prep 1:36.21, 3. Schuylkill Valley 1:37.72, 4. Hampton 1:37.77, 5. Northgate 1:38.35, 6. Shady Side Academy 1:38.85, 7. Springfield Township 1:39.29, 8. Fairview 1:40.07 … 9. Blue Mountain (Moyer, Powers, Sarnes, Varney) 1:40.31

200 freestyle — 1. Preston Kessler (Indiana) 1:40.01, 2. Owen Eisenhofer (Schuylkill Valley) 1:40.83, 3. Soren Cooper (Shady Side Academy) 1:42.26, 4. Nate Dorsch (Sharon) 1:42.43, 5. Greyson McKelvey (Northgate) 1:43.28, 6. Sam Kieffer (Manheim Central) 1:44.68, 7. Michael Strucko (Marian) 1:45.18, 8. Jordan Stumpf (Franklin) 1:46.46. … 18. Porter Sarnes (Blue Mountain) 1:49.60

200 IM — 1. Sam Cavanaugh (Northgate) 1:50.73, 2. Joseph Gardner (Mt. Pleasant) 1:51.35, 3. Jack Raimy (Erie Cathedral Prep) 1:54.75, 4. Lukas Iannone (Scranton Prep) 1:55.64, 5. R.J. Duffy (Bishop McDevitt) 1:56.49, 6. Liam Quigley (Penns Valley) 1:56.71, 7. Noah Pickett (Cornell) 1:57.27, 8. Chase Moore (Bloomsburg) 1:57.70 … 30. Ethan Miller (Schuylkill Haven) 2:05.94.

50 freestyle — 1. Noah Powers (Blue Mountain) 20.44, 2. Joshua Reed (Indiana) 21.51, 3. Colton Houck (Donegal) 21.56, 4. Jaden Baltrusaits (Tunkhannock) 21.85, 5. Gunnar Probst (Mt. Pleasant) 21.86, 6. Finn Jensen (Fairview) 21.87, 7. Leo Pitassi (Franklin) 22.04, 8. Kye Winslow (Franklin) 22.07

100 butterfly — 1. David Mutter (Mt. Pleasant) 48.28, 2. Chris Belch (Hampton) 50.45, 3. Thomas Fuener (Quaker Valley) 51.70, 4. Joey Margita (Indiana) 51.79, 5. Joe Herman (Titusville) 51.84, 6. Jimmy Zhang (Danville) 51.87, 7. Alex Aivalotis (West Allegheny) 52.29, 8. Aiden Lawson (Schuylkill Valley) 52.62. … 20. Brody Moyer (Blue Mountain) 54.78

200 freestyle relay — 1. Indiana 1:26.45, 2. Tunkhannock 1:28.23, 3. Mt. Pleasant 1:28.72, 4. Blue Mountain (Moyer, Kamarousky, Varney, Powers) 1:29.30, 5. Erie Cathedral Prep 1:29.92, 6. Bishop McDevitt 1:30.06, 7. Boiling Springs 1:30.62, 8. Springfield Township 1:30.81