The Hershey girls' swim team didn't falter in the PIAA Class AAA championship meet March 15-16 at Bucknell University.
Coach Greg Fastrich's team set a state record by accumulating 292 points to overpower runner-up North Allegheny, 292-165. Hershey broke its previous record of 265.5, set two years ago.
Junior Meaghan Raab again led the Trojans with a gold medal in 100 free and two relay gold medals, with junior Madelyn Veith accounting for Hershey's other individual gold in the 50 free. Veith out-touched Ali Rockett of Wilson, 23.15 to 23.25. Both train year-round under Fastrich with the Hershey Aquatic Club.
Raab, however, suffered her first loss in a PIAA race when Oakland Catholic's Leah Smith passed her in the final meters of the 200 free. Smith, a University of Virginia recruit, who sat out her junior year of high school swimming, was named the female swimmer of the meet, unseating Raab, who won it the previous two years.
For the Hershey boys, Michigan-bound senior Vinny Tafuto captured the 50 free to lead Hershey to a second-place finish behind LaSalle College, 163-130. Tafuto was also part of Hershey's gold medal winning 200 relay team, along with Austin Doss, Shota Nakano (Penn State) and Jeremy Bauchwitz.
The Hershey girls also got a gold medal from the 200 medley relay team of Ari Waitkavicz, Carly DiLiberty (Towson State), Gabi Broschard and Collette Robinson. Raab teamed with Vivi Tafuto, Veith, DeLiberty and Robsinson in the 200 and 400 free relays.