2 State High swimmers set records, win gold at 2025 PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships

A pair of State College Area High School swimmers collected coveted hardware this weekend at the PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium as Molly Workman and Sam Huggins were crowned state champions.

On Saturday afternoon, Workman stamped a new PIAA record in the 100 freestyle in 48.85 seconds to claim the Class 3A state crown. On Friday, the junior etched a new State High record in the 50 freestyle by completing the event in 22.44 to also claim gold.

Workman has verbally committed to swim at the University of Virginia.

“She had a goal set in her mind of what she wanted to accomplish this year,” said State College coach Aaron Workman, her father. “So being able to come to the meet, have some good races and put up some times that she was excited about — the whole plan worked out. She was very excited at the end.”

Huggins, a senior, became State High’s fastest swimmer ever in the 200 freestyle by setting a school record and earning a first-place medal Friday with a time of 1:36.03. Huggins earned his second medal at the state meet Saturday with a third-place finish (4:27.49) in the 500 freestyle.

Last year, Huggins finished as runner-up in both the 200 and 500 freestyle. He has committed to swim at the University of North Carolina.

“He had a plan,” Aaron Workman said. “He was runner-up last year, and he had a goal in mind to win it this year. Sam is one of the most decorated Pennsylvania swimmers there is. He’s incredibly talented. He’s going to North Carolina, and there’s a giant future for him.

“It’s always bittersweet with the seniors. We’re so excited about what they’re doing and where they’re going, but that one is going to hurt when he walks across the (graduation) stage.”

The State College girls placed fifth (143 points) out of more than 55 teams. The boys nabbed a 15th-place finish (54 points) out of more than 50 teams.

Senior Madison Watschke earned two silver medals in the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke. Watschke improved her preliminary time in the 100 breaststroke Saturday by just over three-quarters of a second in 1:02.54. On Friday, she posted a 2:03.63 finish in the 200 individual medley.

Watschke has committed to swim at Ohio’s Miami University.

“Last year she was here, but she had broken her hand last December, so she was 14th or 15th in the 200 IM and didn’t even make it back in the 100 breaststroke,” Workman said. “This year, she got second in both, which is just awesome. She’s just had an amazing year, even outside of high school swimming. In our USA Swimming, she’s been rocking and rolling.”

In the 200 medley relay, the quartet of Watschke, Molly Workman, Gabby Siekman (sophomore) and Isla Reite (freshman) combined to power the Lady Little Lions to a fourth-place finish behind a time of 1:43:54 on Friday. In Friday’s freestyle relay, the group of Reite, Anne Horgas (sophomore), Sawyer Barshinger (sophomore) and Emmi Gratz (junior) collectively swam a 1:38.91 to place 11th. The quartet was 0.7 seconds shy of tying 10th-place finisher Owen J. Roberts High School.

Watschke, Workman, Gratz and Siekman also earned medals by placing sixth with a 3:30.82 finish on Saturday in the 400 freestyle relay. Gratz also earned a spot in Saturday’s 500 freestyle and finished with a time of 5:05.86.

The State College boys relay team of Huggins, Leo Garlicki (junior), Luke Flickinger (sophomore) and Evan Koehle (freshman) finished just shy of medaling on Saturday, as the quartet placed ninth (3:08.82) in the 400 freestyle relay. The group whittled nearly two seconds off its preliminary time.

Sophomore Varrah Gramling and senior Chris Hill represented State High in the diving competition.

Penns Valley Rams (Class 2A)

Penns Valley senior Liam Quigley finished the PIAA championships with a performance to remember.

He returned home to Centre County with two medals. On Friday, he logged a time of 56.24 seconds to secure a third-place finish in the 100 breaststroke. (A mere 0.05 seconds stood between Quigley and second-place finisher Oleksandr Zholob of Philadelphia Academy Charter.) Then, on Saturday, Quigley placed fourth in the 200 individual relay in 1:54.47 after trimming two seconds off his preliminary time.

Penns Valley also had some representation on the girls side. Sophomore Mila Klena swam 1:06.86 in the 100 breaststroke to place 10th. She also finished 11th in the 200 individual medley behind a 2:11.45.

The Penns Valley boys finished tied for 21st (31 points) while the girls placed 40th (13 points).

Charlotte Delaney recorded a 5:24.73 finish in preliminaries for the 500 freestyle. The junior also posted a 1:02.47 in preliminaries for the 100 butterfly.

A Penns Valley quartet that featured Klena, Delaney, Abby Hagelgans (sophomore) and Eleanor Gillan (freshman) also registered a 1:59.29 in the 200 medley relay. However, they did not advance past prelims.

This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 12:11 PM.