As the spring season gets underway, some of the high school sports teams that compete during the winter months are wrapping up various levels of championship events.

Those who continue to improve in the postseason bring home team trophies and/or gain individual accolades at state championships.

One such athlete is Donegal senior Ethan Shonk, who competed at the PIAA Class 2A state swimming championships along with fellow senior Grant Leibfried and with juniors Sierra Houck and Kylie Wilkinson.

Two weeks following his medal-winning performances in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard freestyle at the District Three Class 2A championships at Wilson, Shonk competed at the PIAA's at Bucknell University. The two-day event on Friday and Saturday, March 18-19 saw Shonk actually drop time off both strokes while earning state medals to add to his swimming trophy case.

"Ethan Shonk took away two medals - sixth in the 200 free ...and third in the 100 back," Isaac Green, the Donegal swim coach, noted. "Ethan has been very consistent with his improvements through the course of the postseason, earning personal bests in leagues, districts and states."

Shonk's time in the district's was 1:44.38 in the 200 free while he swam the 100 back in 51.64 seconds. In the PIAA's he reduced those respective times to 1:43.81 and 51.18.

"They were personal bests," Greene pointed out.

Leibfried also established personal bests at states.

"Grant and Ethan train at the Lancaster Aquatic Club," Greene explained. "Grant was successful in grabbing a personal best and B finals cut in the 100 butterfly with a time of 52.31. Grant gave it all he had in the 100 free the next day but was not successful in making it to the finals.

"However, there was satisfaction with making it to the states and competing," continued the coach.

Houck reached the finals in the 50- and 100-free events.

"She came away with personal bests of 24.80 and 52.40, respectively," Greene noted. "She qualified for finals like Ethan did. Sierra tied for 14th in the 50 free - her best finish between the two events. It is her favorite event. She finished her 100 free with the 13th seed."

Wilkinson swam the 200- and 500-free events.

"She and Sierra train together at Elizabethtown Aquatic Club," said Greene. "Kylie took home a great experience. All of these athletes made Donegal Athletics proud."