Freedom High School swimmer, Peter Conzola, won double gold at the District XI Swimming Championships on Feb. 28 and Mar. 1 at Parkland High School.

The Patriot senior clinched first place in the 100 butterfly with a time of 50.83, breaking the district record by .04 seconds.

"It was really awesome to get that. Originally, when I saw my time, I thought I missed it, and then I got out [of the pool], and my team told me I broke it," Conzola said.

Conzola stuck to his race plan, which was different than usual.

"I went out fast, which is something I usually don't do. I usually save it for the last 50. It was a mental and physical challenge. It felt good to defend the championship, and it always feels good to win at districts and stand on top of the podium," he said.

Conzola's victory in the 100 backstroke was his fourth consecutive district gold medal in that event.

"It was a great accomplishment for me. After winning my freshman year, I made a self-pact to win all four years, and to have accomplished that feels really good," said Conzola.

Conzola won the backstroke with a time of 50.41.

"My time wasn't terrible, but I wanted to use my underwater kicks more than I did. It's something I need to address before states," Conzola said.

Conzola had been seeded first in both events for districts.

"You have to have self-confidence going into meets when you're seeded first. At the same time, it is pressure that does get to your head. You just have to trust your training, doing what you can do," he said.

Conzola will compete at the PIAA State Swimming Championships, scheduled for March 12-15, at Bucknell University.