When Liberty junior Addison Collins missed making the PIAA State Class 3A Swimming Championships after placing second in the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle at the District XI meet, he promised himself he’d make it to states in 2022.

That was before the PIAA changed its mind, opening up the state meet to the next eight best times in each event, and Collins was in for the 50 free.

This past Saturday, Collins clinched the eighth-place medal in the 50 free with a time of :21.15.

“It was pretty amazing. I’m definitely proud,” Collins said. “It was a great experience.”

Following the district meet, Collins was preparing for baseball tryouts when a text from Liberty swim coach Reik Foust told him to be at practice the next day.

“I was a little confused, so I called him,” Collins said.

That’s when Collins found out he would be competing at states after all.

“I was pretty excited, really happy,” he said.

From there, Collins practiced, along with teammates Patrick Gilhool, who tied for 10th in the 100 butterfly in :50.59 and placed 11th in the backstroke in :51.46, Danny Lehr and Malcolm Collins, who were competing in the 200 medley relay with Gilhool and Addison Collins and placed 13th in 1:36.05, and alternate Ben Service.

“We spent a lot of time on the quickness of Addison’s turn and his finish. He worked it, and he used it Saturday,” said Foust. “Malcolm and Danny, this was all new to them. Patrick swam great. He was just tired. It’s hard to hold that taper for two weeks, but he held it as long as he could and put a full effort in. Ben was there and supportive and he would have been ready.”

Collins swam in the first of two heats for the 50 free and won his heat, but there was another heat yet to be swum. On the bubble again, he decided to watch the second heat instead of warming down.

“My goal was just to win my heat, and I was happy I did that. I wasn’t even thinking about medaling, but I was watching the second heat closely,” he said.

What Collins saw was the time of :21.18 for the last finisher in the second heat, confirming a medal for Collins.

“(Assistant coaches) Jeff (Matyus) and Evan (Kocon) and I were talking on the way back, and we were really proud of the guys,” said Foust. “Like everybody else, we didn’t know what states was going to be like. As crazy as this season was, to do what they did in two months, having to start in January, we were really happy.”