BUTLER TWP — Going to practice Tuesday won't seem like such a chore for Max Merhaut.

After a season of inching progressively closer, Merhaut saw the number he needed illuminate on the scoreboard after his 200 individual medley race Monday night at Butler High School.

The Butler freshman swimmer finished in 2:11.49 to win the event and finished just below the WPIAL qualifying time of 2:11.50.

“Definitely, normally it's like being dragged in,” Merhaut said about being excited for practice. “It's like 'I don't want to do this.' Now, I have something to work for.”

The Golden Tornado swept Knoch. The boys won 92-82 and the girls won 99-84.

Butler swim coach Dave Bocci, who put several swimmers in different spots, was especially pleased with Merhaut.

“Every meet he has gradually progressed, dropping a second,” Bocci said. “I told Max he was going to drop two seconds and he did it. I was very happy. It's a good drop.”

Merhaut has had success by focusing on beating times, not his opponents.

“I've been swimming for a really long time, so I'm used to racing the clock,” Merhaut said. “When you're maybe not feeling so great, push through it.”

Joe Deemer was one of the swimmers Bocci inserted in the 500 freestyle to see how he would do.

Deemer won the event with a time of 5:14.79 and was also a member of the winning 200 medley relay.

“Joey Deemer won the 500, the cut is 5:13 and I think we're going to give that another look as a second event,” Bocci said.

The Knights' Noah Gumto won the 100 breaststroke in 1:09.52 to hit a qualifying time.

Knoch sophomore Abby Jones had already hit several qualifying times. What she wanted was to improve her technique.

“I wanted to work on swimming down the middle of the pool,” Jones said. “I have a bad tendency to circle-swim so that's kind of my focus.”

Jones picked up two individual wins — in the 200 and 500 freestyle — and was a member of the winning 200 medley and 400 relay teams.

Jones was happy with how she swam, but said fine-tuning her form will take some getting used to.

“You have to change your flip turns and not go toward the sides,” Jones said. “It's very hard because I've done that since I was little. It's hard to fix at this old of an age.”

Knoch coach Rick Hassler said that Jones is very versatile.

“She can swim any event. She's that good of a swimmer and that talented of a swimmer,” Hassler said. “I don't know what she is planning on swimming at WPIALs, probably the 200 free and 500 free. We'll see.”

Knights' freshman Brooke Zukowski also picked up four wins. She won the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke and was a member of the 200 medley and 400 relay teams.

Hassler also used Zukowski to help push a teammate toward a qualifying time.

Zukowski was happy to help out.

“It's not something I expected, but I want other people to do well,” Zukowski said. “I work hard and other people work hard, too. Everyone deserves to have success.”

Jillian McElhany helped carry the Butler girls, picking up wins in the 50 free and 100 back.

“On the girls side, I thought Macie (Pennington) had a good start in the 500 and Jill had a good 100 back, so that was good as well,” Bocci said.

Girls

Butler 99, Knoch 84

200 medley relay: 1-Knoch (Abby Jones, Brooke Zukowski, Hannah Shoemaker, Rachael Wittmer), 2:00.69

200 freestyle: 1-Jones (K), 2:06.51

200 individual medley: 1- Zukowski (K), 2:13.86

50 freestyle: 1-Jillian McElhany (B), 26.36

1-meter diving: 1-Claire Weiland (B), 200

100 butterfly: 1-Emily Bruce (B), 1:08.12

100 freestyle: 1-Kaelyn Emanuel (B), 59.24

500 freestyle: 1-Abby Jones (K), 5:31.53

200 freestyle relay: 1-Butler (Hannah Kruger, Emily Bruce, Morgan Keelan, Emily Merhaut), 1:54.63

100 backstroke: 1-McElhany (B), 1:05.33

100 breaststroke: 1-Zukowski (K), 1:08.61

400 freestyle relay: 1-Knoch (Jones, Shoemaker, Erin Daubner, Zukowski), 4:05.20

Boys

Butler 92, Knoch 82

200 medley relay: 1-Butler (Ryan Deemer, Alex Wigton, Joey Deemer, Ian Gillan), 1:49.92

200 freestyle: 1-Ryan Deemer (B), 1:47.58.

200 individual medley: 1-Max Merhaut (B), 2:11.49

50 freestyle: 1-John Wilson (K), 24.42

1-meter diving: 1-Ben Lowery (K), 214.4

100 butterfly: 1-Nathan Walls (K), 1:01.49

100 freestyle: 1-Gillan (B), 54.47

500 freestyle: 1-Joey Deemer (B), 5:14.79

200 freestyle relay: 1-Butler (Alex Wigton, Christian Pfeil, Max Merhaut, Taylor Frankenstein), 1:41.28

100 backstroke: 1-Paul Kasunic (K), 1:09.23

100 breaststroke: 1-Noah Gumto (K), 1:09.52

400 freestyle relay: 1-Knoch (Kasunic, Gumto, Walls, John Wilson), 3:49.81