State College’s powerhouse swim program chases first team state championship
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- State College seeks first team state title after 39 straight district crowns.
- Coach Workman brings 18 swimmers and two divers to the upcoming state meet.
- Senior leaders and intense training drive team culture and postseason hopes.
State High’s swim program has been a powerhouse for decades; it has won 39 straight district titles and the team has state champion banners hanging for individual events and relays. But there’s one banner missing from the rafters — a team state championship.
“We want to keep that tradition going,” State College coach Aaron Workman said of their success in districts. “And we really want to win a state championship. Every year, that’s the goal, that’s the focus.”
Led by Workman continuously since 2020, State College has continued its dominance in the Mid-Penn Conference and District 6, due in large part to its veteran leadership. The program is set to bring 18 swimmers and two divers to the March 11-14 state competition — its most yet. The boys and girls teams each yield nine swimmers and one diver.
It’s one of Workman’s goals at the beginning of each season to bring as many swimmers as possible to the state competition, and each season the team sets the bar higher.
“Our seniors do a really good job of setting the foundation,” Workman said. “We’ve been really blessed; each year we’ve had a great group of seniors who have been successful. And when you look over and see someone that’s going to UNC or Virginia, you want to step up your game as well.”
The State High coach also mentioned that this team is bringing more freshmen than usual, many of whom have been inspired by upperclassmen such as Leo Garlicki and Molly Workman.
Garlicki is part of a boys team with a historic line of success. Last season the Little Lions graduated Sam Huggins, an individual state title winner, to UNC, and in 2020 they had one of the nation’s best swimmers. This season has been different for the program.
“When [Huggins] left,” Workman said, “the boys team did a really good job going, ‘OK, he’s gone; we got to do this together.’ And the training level on the guys’ side rose. Our younger guys got a ton faster, and the only two senior boys have done a nice job helping them understand that they can do this.”
Garlicki referred to the team and program as a family and a tight-knit group.
“The upperclassmen help out the lower-classmen,” he said, “just showing them the ropes and what it takes to succeed.”
As for Molly Workman, she’s been one of the pillars for the girls teams since she arrived at State High. The senior is ranked as the No. 1 swimmer in Pennsylvania and will continue her academic and athletic career at the University of Virginia. She’s also won multiple individual state championships.
“The girls team has always had a catalyst,” Aaron Workman said, biting his tongue trying not to speak too highly of his daughter, “someone who’s going to help us be successful, and she’s done a nice job. She’s team before individual.”
It’s difficult to have any other mindset when you spend as much time together as State High’s swim program does. Though they compete separately, the team trains together as one program. They practice two hours in the morning before school, two hours after school, and lift three times a week. Workman joked that the culture outside the pool is adequate largely because they spend so much time in it.
Nevertheless, the swimmers still find time to build camaraderie.
“We have a lot of team pasta parties,” Molly Workman said. “And after big meets, like making districts, we’ll have a joint team get-together to build that family environment.”
And that’s not the only atmosphere they’ve created.
“They do a great job of creating their own environment,” Aaron Workman added. “Being loud and always supporting each other is what they do well. It doesn’t matter if we’re at the state meet or swimming against another team here on a Tuesday night, they create an environment that’s fun, exciting, and loud.”
Their environment will be brought to Bucknell this week and put to the test, as State College aims to capture its program’s first team state championship with the help of Garlicki, Workman and the other 16 competing at the top state meet in high school swimming.
