Herald-Standard Girls All-Area Swimming/Diving Team
Mount Pleasant’s King did it all her senior season
Lily King didn’t disappoint in her final high school season, as the Mount Pleasant senior not only won Class 2A state championships in the 100 and 200-yard freestyle, but broke Pennsylvania records in both events.
King’s time of 1:44.64 in the 200 freestyle bested the mark of 1:44.73 that was set by Courtney Harnish of West York in 2017. The North Carolina State commit broke her own record of 48.15 in winning the 100 freestyle in 47.31.
King was also on the Lady Vikings’ 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay teams that were second in the state.
Mount Pleasant won the state team title for the third straight season with 189 points. Cathedral Prep was second with 173.
“We talked about wanting to go out as seniors with a bang,” King said. “We had a goal of winning team state titles for the boys and girls probably since our freshmen year.”
The Lady Vikings were second in the state when King was a freshman, but won the first of three the next season. Despite winning gold, a three-peat wasn’t something that King and her teammates thought would be possible.
“After my sophomore year, we thought we would be one and done for state team titles, but our coaches called a meeting after the WPIALs and said we had a chance to win it again. The state title my junior year was unexpected. We only had five girls that were swimming at states this season, but we have a lot of trust in each other, and we support one another if someone doesn’t have the best race.”
Not surprisingly, King has been selected as the girls swimmer/diver of the year in the Herald-Standard Girls All-Area Swimming/Diving Team for the 2024-2025 season.
Despite winning eight individual state titles over her career, King’s focus remained on swimming her best times.
“I really didn’t think I swam my best at states my junior year,” King said. “Even if I win a race, I don’t feel like I fully reach what I want to do unless I get a best time. I used that as motivation for this year, and I was able to get my best time in the 100 (freestyle), and was .02 off my best time in the 200 (freestyle), so I was 100% happy with how this year went.”
The Mount Pleasant community came out strong to support the Vikings after they returned home from the state meet at Bucknell University.
“I love our community and school for doing stuff like that,” King said. “There were fire trucks waiting for us on Main Street, and when we got back to our school, our teachers and friends were waiting for us.”
Mount Pleasant will need to do its best to fill some very big shoes next season, but King says she feels like the underclassmen have the potential to succeed.
King will compete in the Speedo sectionals this weekend before heading to Indianapolis for the international team trials in June.
The girls first team and honorable mention performers are listed below. Lady Vikings head coach Sandy Felice was selected as the coach of the year.
First team
200 medley relay: Mount Pleasant
200 freestyle: Lily King, Mount Pleasant
200 IM: Allison Stinnett, Southmoreland
50 freestyle: Kiersten O’Connor, Mount Pleasant
Diving: Eleanor Carei, Uniontown
100 butterfly: Caylee Psenicska, Albert Gallatin
200 freestyle relay: Mount Pleasant
100 freestyle: Lily King, Mount Pleasant
500 freestyle: Caylee Psenicska, Albert Gallatin
100 backstroke: Kiersten O’Connor, Mount Pleasant
100 breaststroke: Allison Stinnett, Southmoreland
400 freestyle relay: Mount Pleasant
Honorable mention
Belle Vernon, 200 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay, Josie Nikolic, Megan Shusteric; Connellsville, Kallee Maloy; Laurel Highlands, Addie Ciez; Mount Pleasant, Maddie Barrick, Lainey Brown, Riley Shinsky; Uniontown, Hannah Foster.