Latrobe senior earns medal on 1st day of PIAA swim meet

Chris Heese finishes 7th in 50-yard freestyle, looks to contend for gold in 100 breaststroke

Mar. 12, 2026 at 2:20am

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Latrobe senior Chris Heese exceeded expectations on the first day of the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships, qualifying for the championship final in the 50-yard freestyle and finishing 7th overall. Heese, who was seeded 13th, credited good rest and an early morning swim for his strong performance. He is now focused on his top-seeded event, the 100 breaststroke, where he hopes to contend for the gold medal.

Why it matters

Heese's unexpected success in the 50 freestyle demonstrates his versatility as a swimmer and ability to rise to the occasion at the state championships. As the top seed in the 100 breaststroke, he will be a swimmer to watch on the second day of competition, with a chance to bring home Latrobe's first individual state title in swimming.

The details

Heese entered the 50 freestyle prelims seeded 13th but posted a time of 21.09 seconds to qualify for the championship final. He then dropped another 0.22 seconds in the finals to finish 7th overall with a time of 20.94 seconds. Heese's Latrobe teammates also had strong swims, with the boys 200 medley relay team finishing 11th and the 200 free relay team finishing 16th in the consolation finals.

  • Heese swam the 50 freestyle prelims on Wednesday morning at 8 a.m.
  • Heese competed in the 50 freestyle finals on Wednesday evening.
  • Heese will swim the 100 breaststroke, his top-seeded event, on Thursday.

The players

Chris Heese

A senior swimmer at Latrobe High School who exceeded expectations by qualifying for the championship final in the 50-yard freestyle and is the top seed in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Latrobe High School

The high school that Chris Heese represents, which is hoping he can bring home the school's first individual state swimming title.

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What they’re saying

“Honestly, that was very unexpected. I definitely think getting to bed early this past week and getting good rest really helped with that 8 a.m. (prelim) swim. It's rough swimming that early, but I felt fresh. It's a great feeling to know that wherever you are seeded, you have a chance to move up and improve your place.”

— Chris Heese, Latrobe senior

“That is the real show. I am just so excited for tomorrow. I am a contender for the gold. I know there are a lot of great guys gunning for me. I will be ready.”

— Chris Heese, Latrobe senior

What’s next

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The takeaway

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