After winning their first team championship last year, the Indiana girls had a good day at the WPIAL Class 2A swimming championships Thursday at Pitt’s Trees Pool, taking an eight-point lead in the team race over Franklin Regional, 175-167.

On the boys side, Northgate has an even slimmer lead over Indiana, 121-115, after the first day of competition.

The Flames, with the boys seeking their first title since 2018, got off to a fast start. After the Shady Side Academy girls won the opening event, the girls 200 medley relay, with a time of 1:48.18 — with Indiana finishing second at 1:49.53 — Northgate jumped into action.

The boys won the 200 medley relay in 1:36.87 before stacking a pair of individual gold medals in the 200 freestyle events.

Northgate’s JoAnn Cook (1:53.04) and teammate Greyson McKelvey (1:43.72), both sophomores, captured wins.

Flames senior Sam Cavanaugh talked about the great start his team got off to in the meet.

“We were really hyped for (the relay) beforehand,” Cavanaugh said. “We were seeded first, but during some of our high school meets, we weren’t at our best, so we were prepped and ready to go when we got here.”

Cavanaugh was happy to be part of the fast start with his teammates Cook and McKelvey.

“Just to have all three of us winning a gold medal, along with the boys winning the relay and the first three boys events, that’s kind of crazy,” he said. “I never would have imagined that start.”

After Ava Jochims from Shady Side Academy repeated in the 200 yard IM with a time of 2:01.36, it was Cavanaugh’s turn to go back-to-back, as he won on the boys side with a time of 1:50.77.

“I’m super happy,” the Bucknell recruit said about the back-to-back wins. “After last year, I’m super grateful to come back and do it again.”

Senior Thea Siegel, swimming independently for Winchester Thurston, won the 50 freestyle at 23.58. She won bronze in that event last year.

Last year’s winner on the boys side also repeated, as junior Joshua Reed from Indiana had a winning time of 20.90. Reed also captured state gold in the 50 freestyle last season.

In the 100 butterfly, it was a pair of Hampton Talbots taking home gold medals. Senior Duquesne recruit Lainey Sheets (54.21) and junior Connor Sutterlin (52.27) were the winners.

The finals two events of Day 1 were the 200 freestyle relays.

It was Franklin Regional (1:36.80) winning for the girls and Mt. Pleasant (1:30.38) repeated as winners on the boys side.

The rest of the top five girls team scores after the first day has Northgate in third with 127 points, Hampton fourth with 115 and Shady Side Academy in fifth with 103.

Shady Side Academy is also third on the boys side with 110 points with Mt. Pleasant in fourth with 106 and Knoch in fifth place with 102.

Day 2 is set for Friday afternoon at Trees Pool.