PIAA Swimming: State medals serve as motivation for Schuylkill League’s underclassmen
Marian's Michael Strucko shows off his fifth-place medal in the 100 backstroke Thursday at the PIAA Swimming Championships at Bucknell University (Photo by Leroy Boyer).
LEWISBURG — If there was a common theme among the Schuylkill League swimmers that competed at this week’s PIAA Swimming Championships, it was this:
“I can’t wait until next year.”
Marian siblings Lydia and Michael Strucko, Tamaqua’s Savannah Wilson and Blue Mountain’s Porter Sarnes all qualified for the Class AA evening session Thursday at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.
Michael Strucko took fifth in the boys’ 100-yard backstroke, Lydia Strucko finished sixth in the girls’ 100 backstroke, Wilson placed seventh in the girls’ 100 breaststroke and Sarnes captured 10th in the boys’ 500 freestyle.
Sure, Schuylkill League swimming fans will miss watching the phenomenal, record-breaking talents of Blue Mountain senior Noah Powers, who garnered his 12th career state medal by placing second in the boys’ 100 freestyle (see related story: https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2025/03/13/piaa-boys-swimming-blue-mountains-powers-caps-career-with-silver-in-100-freestyle/).
Headed for the University of Virginia, Powers is a generational talent and the Schuylkill League may never see anyone as talented as him again.
Blue Mountain’s Sage Kaplafka and Julia Crossen, Schuylkill Haven’s Teagan Wehr and Nikki Domermuth, North Schuylkill’s Gavin Mentzer and Tamaqua diver Vinny Valentine also saw their high school swimming careers come to an end on the state’s biggest stage. (More on them to come in an additional story).
But of the Schuylkill League’s 26 state qualifiers, 19 were underclassmen.
The state medals won by the Strucko siblings, Wilson, Pottsville diver Adam Klinger and Blue Mountain freestyle relay members Brody Moyer, Aidan Varney and Gabe Kamarousky, combined with several other strong performances, will only serve as motivation for them to put in the extra work needed to return to Bucknell next season and advance higher up the podium.
“It motivates you so much,” said Michael Strucko, who won a pair of medals. “Obviously, it gives you a piece of mind and makes you feel a little bit better that you have another shot at it.
“Every year I’m taking back some experience. I’m just going to continue to improve and get better.”
After placing 10th in the girls’ 200 IM in a personal-best 2:08.84 on Wednesday, Lydia Strucko entered Thursday’s 100 back competition poised to win her first medal.
She didn’t disappoint, posting a preliminary time of 57.40 that got her into the championship finals, then placing sixth in 56.83 — a solid drop of .57 seconds. Mt. Pleasant’s Kiersten O’Connor won the gold in 54.61.
Last year as a freshman, Strucko was 10th in the 200 IM and ninth in the 100 backstroke.
“It feels really great,” said the Marian sophomore. “I’m super happy I was able to get a medal considering last year I just missed it. I’m not crazy happy with my time but given the fact that I got on the podium I’m happy.”
Her brother Michael, a junior, has steadily gotten better every time he competes at Kinney Natatorium. Thursday, he went faster both times he got in the water, slicing his District 11-winning time of 51.89 to 51.58 in the prelims to place fifth, then staying fifth by clocking a 51.49 in the championship finals.
It was Strucko’s second medal of the meet after taking eighth Wednesday in the 200 freestyle in 1:46.24.
“I’m happy to place a bit higher this time and finish out the meet well,” Michael Strucko said. “Overall, I’m happy with it. I had fun, first and foremost. Making finals, making it back, having my family here, my friends, it was definitely a fun experience. I’m happy with how it went overall.”
Wilson, a junior, nearly beat her own school record of 1:06.22 by going 1:06.26 in the morning prelims. She waited anxiously on deck with the Blue Mountain coaches and other Schuylkill League swimmers through two more heats to see if her time was good enough to make the championship finals.
She was overjoyed when she found out she placed eighth to earn her first medal, the first by a Tamaqua girls’ swimmer since Adrian Bumbulsky was fifth in the 500 freestyle in 2007.
Wilson then placed seventh in the finals in 1:06.53.
“It feels awesome (to win a medal),” said Wilson, who was honored by Tamaqua Area High School during a special ceremony Friday. “It’s so rewarding especially since last year I was just out of B final. So being able to get to an A final is incredible for me. Really happy.
“Next year is my senior year … so, my goal is to get a higher placement and work on it. I have to put a lot of work in the next year.”
Sarnes, a freshman, was seeded 16th in the 500 free after winning the District 11 title in 4:52.41. He had a strong swim in the morning prelims, going 4:49.81 to place 10th and clinch a spot in the consolation finals.
In the evening he went even faster, with his time of 4:46.43 just shy of beating the Blue Mountain school record of 4:46.06 set by Ty Raubenstein in 2019.
The son of Blue Mountain head coach Pete Sarnes, Porter earned his first state medal in the 200 freestyle relay Wednesday and was a part of the Eagles’ 200 medley relay that took ninth. He also placed 18th in the 200 freestyle in 1:49.60.
With Sarnes, Moyer, Varney, Kamarousky, Liam Magdeburg and freshman Zach Scala all returning, the Eagles have a strong nucleus to build on for next season.
Moyer, a sophomore, also competed in four events at states, taking 20th in the 100 butterfly and 24th in the 100 backstroke.
There’s more.
** Blue Mountain freshman Alayna Hensel was a late addition to the girls’ 100 breaststroke and didn’t disappoint, beating three girls to place 30th.
Hensel and sophomore Isabella Lafko joined Kaplafka and Crossen on Blue Mountain’s 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay that placed 24th and 25th, respectively.
“It was definitely one of my biggest goals to suit up and I did what I wanted to do,” Hensel said. “My biggest goal was coming to states as a freshman and getting the opportunity to swim an individual (event) at states and in two relays, was just a phenomenal experience. I’m really happy to be a part of it.”
** The Tamaqua girls’ 200 medley relay, which placed 27th Wednesday in 1:58.26, is comprised of all underclassmen: freshman Kate Behun, Wilson, junior Audrey Nattress and junior Ava Jones. They got used to the bright lights, big atmosphere and double bulkheads of Bucknell and will use that experience next season.
