Penn Manor senior finishes 2nd in boys 500 freestyle at PIAA Class 3A Swimming Championships

LEWISBURG — Two races at the PIAA Swimming Championships, two Class 3A silver medals for Penn Manor’s Trevor Olson.

Olson earned his second second-place finish of the meet on Saturday, finishing in 4:26.05 in the boys 500-yard freestyle at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.

“I thought it was a great race,” said Olson, who was second in Friday’s 200 freestyle. “I’m really happy with it. I went into it tired and I had the wrong mindset this morning, but tonight I took an extra long warm-up. I just had more motivation tonight than I did this morning.

“I feel really good about that swim. It was my last high school swim, and it was a good one. I had a lot of fun swimming in high school. I’m really glad that I went through the whole experience.”

Olson turned in a 4:33.11 in the morning prelim.

Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s McClellan Clark won the 500 free in 4:22.78.

2025 PIAA class 3A swimming championships — Buy Now

Warwick's Brody Reber comes off the blocks to swim the 100 yard backstroke preliminaries during the PIAA class 3A boys swimming championships at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg on Saturday March 15, 2025.
CHRIS KNIGHT | Staff Photographer

Warwick sophomore Brody Reber, finished fourth in the 100-yard backstroke Saturday.

Reber, fresh off his victory in the 200 individual medley on Friday, posted a time of 49.17 in the backstroke.

“I was definitely a lot more happy yesterday than I am today,” Reber said. “I came in here wanting to win. But it happens. I trained for it, I expect to do it and I didn’t execute. It sucks, but I’ll be back next year.

“Club meets I swim way more than I do here so it wasn’t that the IM took too much out of me. That was just a really, really fast race. Overall, I’m happy with the meet, but again, happier yesterday than today.”

Jack Ketchum of Elizabethtown made his debut on the podium, taking eighth in the 100 backstroke in 49.75.

“I’m very happy,” said Ketchum, a junior. “Honestly, this morning, having a really big PR (personal record of 49.46) was really exciting. I’m really looking forward to next year and hopefully I’ll do even better.”

Teammate Everett Rachael won the consolation final of the 100 freestyle (45.64) for ninth place.

Elizabethtown’s 400 freestyle relay of Rachael, Reid Gilmore, Logan Conway and Ketchum also made consolations, taking 12th (3:10.45).

For Hempfield, Kaden Fatta competed in the consolation heat of the 100 breaststroke, taking 16th (56.80).

The 400 freestyle relay of Jackson Shirey, Ivan Vitko, Ryan Taylor and Fatta also made consolations, finishing 10th (3:09.17).

Cole Stevens of Manheim Township finished 13th in the 100 backstroke (51.29).

Lebanon’s Jomar Hidalgo also reached the consolation final in the 100 backstroke, taking 14th (51.52).

For the girls, Cami Schwartz was all smiles, and with very good reason.

The Manheim Township junior finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.06.

“I’m super excited,” said Schwartz, who was 11th in the 200 individual medley on Friday. “I came into the weekend just looking to have fun and swim some good times. I wanted to just get out there and race with some great competition.”

Her time was identical to her preliminary time from the morning swim.

“All you can ask for is the improvement and having a big drop in time,” she said. “Doing the exact same time tonight that I did this morning just shows consistency which is key and it’s even more fun when you do it at a high level.”

She earned an eighth-place medal in the 200 individual medley in 2024.

“This is my first medal in 100 breaststroke,” she said. “My freshman year I got ninth and last year I just missed the ‘A’ final so it’s exciting to finally shine in my main event.”

Ephrata’s Ava Knopsnyder also picked up a medal, finishing eighth in the 500 freestyle in 5:06.65.

She finished eighth in the preliminaries to claim the final berth in the championship heat, but was uncertain at the time if she’d made it to the ‘A’ final.

“I wasn’t really sure about it,” said Knopsnyder, who placed fourth in the 200 individual medley on Friday. “The girl in ninth place (Sarah McGann of Coatesville) had a time really close to mine in prelims so I was a little upset about that. I was not really happy with that race, but things happen.

“I’m just glad that I finished my high school career with a medal and that I got to swim with the girls one last time.”

Knopsnyder led off the 400 freestyle relay for Susan Archibald, Bria Burkholder and Cali Burkholder. The foursome finished 27th (3:40.85).

Penn Manor’s Dru Landis reached the consolation final in the 500 freestyle, finishing 15th (5:04.14).

Mia Parry of Garden Spot was 20th in the 100 freestyle (53.56).

Addy Bushnell of Hempfield competed in the 100 breaststroke, taking 20th (1:06.57).

2025 PIAA Class 3A swimming championships [photos]

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Elizabethtown's Jack ketchum swims the 100 yard backstroke preliminaries during the PIAA class 3A boys swimming championships at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg on Saturday March 15, 2025.