Talk about riding a wave of success.

Warwick freshman Emily Cameron was named Swimmer of the Meet at the PIAA Class AAA Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday after adding a gold medal in the 100-yard breaststroke to the 200 individual medley title she earned Wednesday.

"Oooooh, that's exciting," Cameron said, recalling her feelings when the award was announced. "I wasn't expecting that at all."

"She's in rarefied air," Warwick coach Mark Daum said of Cameron's two-day performance at Bucknell University. "How many kids in a lifetime win one (state title), let alone two?"

Add Cedar Crest's Maddie Hoch to that first category, as the freshman took command of the 500 freestyle from the beginning of the race, and never let up. Hoch lowered her personal best to below five minutes by winning in 4:51.03.

Falcons coach Beth Yocum said that they figured Hoch would be on pace to go somewhere between 4:48 and 5:52 in Thursday's finals after seeing her swim in the morning's trials. "She performed very well," said Yocum.

Hoch then teamed with Kathleen Gast, Paula Ferrara and Skyler Doss to grab sixth in the 400 free relay in 3:32.57, while Manheim Towship's Rachel Butler claimed fifth in the 100 breast in a school-record 1:04.88.

Other local placewinners from Thursday's consolation finals were Manheim Central's Paige Daniel (5:02.42, 10th) and Ephrata's Kylee Parsons (5:03.98, 12th) in the 500; Hempfield's Dana Schlief (58.51, 12th) in the 100 backstroke and Township's Katie Diller (53.10, 14th) in the 100 free.

The local contingent of boys swam well again Thursday, highlighted by a fourth-place finish from Conestoga Valley's Logan Monger (57.70) in the 100 breaststroke. Crest's Allen Weik (4:33.88) was fifth in the 500 free and Warick's Dain Bomberger (46.33) was seventh in the 100 free.

Manheim Central's Rob Iosue (48.15) took 16th in the 100 free, while the CC quartet of Andrew Miller, Weik, Michael Lightner and Austin Yocum finished ninth in a school-record 3:10.74 in the 400 free relay.

Still, it was a two-day meet that really belonged to Cameron, who wanted to put to rest rumors circulating throughout BU's Kinney Natatorium that she would swim at Warwick for just one season.

"I am staying at Warwick," she said emphatically.

Her proposed destinations, she said, ran from Germantown and Mercersburg academies, to L-L League rivals Manheim Township and Hempfield.

One destination Cameron did admit she was heading to was Maryland, where she said she had a sectional meet for her Lancaster Aquatic Club team in the coming days. This week, though, she was concentrating on doing well at states.

She said she really likes this pool because it was the site of her first Junior National cut (time) as a 13-year-old, as well as her PIAA record-setting 1:59.00 performance in Wednesday's 200 IM. She was the first female scholastic swimmer in Pennsylvania to break two minutes in the IM.

"I didn't know what to say about (her 200 IM time)," she said. "It kind of made my whole swimming career. I'll always remember that."

As for Thursday's breaststroke final, Cameron said she was happy and disappointed at the same time. "It was good. I'm fine with it. I'm happy," she said of claiming the gold. Then she added, "I just wanted to go my best time, and I didn't quite get that." She said she has done a 1:02.2, so she wasn't too far off that mark with her 1:02.31.

"She's an elite athlete in a sport that is all about time," said Daum. "Ultimately, you're racing the clock. She gave her best effort. She got pushed. She said she felt a little off.

"It's the little things — the start, the turn, getting in and out of the wall crisply — and if you worry about all of the little pieces, the time will take care of itself," he added. "She may be a little disappointed because she didn't get her best time, but she's still the state champion."

Both Bomberger and Monger could relate to giving it your all, and then hoping for the best place.

"I didn't want to leave anything in the pool and I didn't," said Bomberger, a training partner of Monger at Five Star Swim Club. "I did what I could and I'm happy."

As was Monger, who said: "It's always been one of my goals (getting a state medal) and I finally accomplished that."

"The boy swims with so much focus, it's unreal," said CV coach Brian McGrath. "He deserves what he got. He definitely earned it."

Earning Swimmer of the Meet honors for the boys was North Allegheny's Jonathan Buerger, who won the 500 (4:25.35) Thursday and 200 (1:38.08) free Wednesday.

Winners in the boys' meet Thursday were Unionville's Shane Austin (45.26) in the 100 free, Haverford's Shane Ryan (48.67) with a record in the 100 back, Chichester's Robert Power (56.81) in the 100 breast and Wilson's 400 free relay of Nate Savoy, Toren Tyler, Ryan Westley and Dan Crigler in a record time of 3:03.53.

Girls' winners from Day Two were Danielle Siverling (50.29) of Downingtown east in the 100 free, Christina Leander (55,15) of West Chester East in the 100 back and the Wilson foursome of Camilla Czulada, Paige Impink, Taylor Brew and Caitlyn Karr in 3:27.90.