Simply incredible.

It's hard to describe the performances of area athletes at this past week's PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

Incredible almost feels like selling those kids short.

Unbelievable isn't quite right, either, because there were thousands of witnesses to what went on at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium.

Is there something in the water? That joke went around at least a dozen times.

Maybe those high-tech suits weren't all they were cracked up to be. Not a chance. Just imagine if this year's crop of swimmers were still allowed to wear those now-banned suits.

That'll keep you scratching your head while pondering the what-might-have-beens.

What did unfold were four days of utterly amazing efforts — both by individuals and teams — at the annual gathering of the best of the best in Pennsylvania scholastic swimming.

Warwick's Emily Cameron had a tremendous two days, shattering the state Class AAA record in the 200-yard individual medley Wednesday in 1:59.00. She literally left the competition in her wake while becoming the first female in Pennsylvania scholastic history to break the two-minute barrier.

To put that in perspective, it's like seeing a kid go under four minutes in the 1,600-meter run. How often has that happened?

Think about that for a minute or so, about the time (1:02.31) Cameron needed to swim four lengths of the pool to win the breaststroke title Thursday night.

For all of her efforts, Cameron was named the Class AAA Female Swimmer of the Meet. She also became just the third Warwick athlete to earn an individual state title, joining 2003 800-meter champ Ganne Way and 1966 1,600 winner Ed Nixdorf in that category. (The Warwick field hockey team has three state titles and the boys' soccer team has one).

She was in the spotlight for one reason, and one reason only — she deserved it.

"She's really not the type that likes to have the spotlight shine on her," said Warwick coach Mark Daum. "She likes to deflect the attention; sometimes wonders why she gets all of that (attention)."

Cameron gets the attention — and the accolades that go along with that — because she is a tireless worker focused on the task at hand. Her tremendous focus and pool awareness came to light as the IM was about to get under way.

As the finalists were getting into position for the start, Cameron noticed the touch pad (the device that hangs over the edge of the wall and records the time) in her lane had come loose.

She quickly waved her hands, got the starter's attention, and the problem was addressed — temporarily.

Cameron swam the IM of her life — and the best in the state — with that touchy touch pad, which, along with the one in the lane beside Cameron's, was replaced after the event.

Only 15, with aspirations of someday competing in the Olympics — she's made some qualifying standards to compete in the June 2112 U.S. Olympic Trials — Cameron is shooting for the ultimate event in her sport.

"I'd love to do that," she said of going to the Olympics. "If not London, then the following Games."

Whether she lives out that dream or not, Cameron was in some Olympic-caliber company at states.

•••

Did someone say future Olympian?

Hershey's David Nolan, a 17-year-old junior who rocked the state — and national — swimming world, may fit that bill.

Nolan set a national record by going 1:43.43 in the Class AA 200 IM Friday, then added the gold in the 100 free in a state-record 43.27 on Saturday. He and his Trojan teammates also set state records with a 3:03.98 in Saturday's 400 free relay and with a 1:30.27 in Friday's 200 medley relay.

In case you're counting, that's four state golds in four events for just this year. Nolan now has a total of nine state gold medals in three years — five in individual events.

To put Nolan's accomplishment in perspective, some kid named Michael Phelps swam a 1:44 in the 200 IM as an 18-year-old high school swimmer. That kid is now universally known as the greatest Olympic swimming champion — ever.

•••

While not quite on that level, the Lancaster Catholic boys put quite an exclamation point on this breakout season.

The Crusaders placed fourth overall in the boys' Class AA team standings. (Hershey's 416 points were a meet record for all classifications).

It was, in the words of Catholic senior John Hughes: "A wild adventure. Memorable would be the best word to describe it. I still can't believe all that's happened. Matt and Mary really turned us around."

Matt and Mary would be the DePietros, both Villanova swimming alums who turned around the Catholic program in the two years under their direction.

Matt DePietro, though, deflects much of the success of not only his kids, but to kids around the league, to the various club programs in the area.

Still, the Crusaders, according to senior Adam Moths, refer to the DePietros as "mom and dad, well, our second moms and dads."

It's that type of atmosphere the DePietros brought to what the kids said was previously a somewhat dysfunctional program.

Now, things are looking bright for the future, and that has a lot to do with the present.

To a person, the Crusaders acknowledged that his may have been a once-in-a-lifetime season, with all of the success. They graduate a ton of talent in Hughes, Thomas Malloy and Mathias.

Several talented pieces will return in the form of freshman Everett Albert and juniors Stuart Cubbison and Jacob Robinson, who all figured in the medals the Crusaders brought home.

"Exceeding expectations, that's how I'd sum up tonight," DePietro said late Friday.

Exceeding expectations is about the norm, not just for the Crusaders, but for all of the rest of the area athletes who competed at states.

It was, quite simply, an incredible showing.

pkauffman@LNPnews.com