POTTSVILLE - Marian High School doesn't have a pool for swimmers and doesn't even have a full-compliment of swimmers to comprise a team.

But what it does have is some superb individual talent, including a nationally-ranked swimmer who continues to rack up first place finishes and gold medals.Danny Berlitz was a showcase unto himself Saturday at the Ned Hampford Natatorium where the Schuylkill League Swimming Championships were staged.Berlitz shattered the 500-yard freestyle record with a time of 4:42.90, surpassing the previous best of of 4:46.49 set by Pottsville's Chris Grabowski in 1999.And Berlitz is only a freshman."I just try to keep pushing myself," Berlitz said after the event, one in which he lapped two other swimmers. His teammate Timmy Dando is a big reason why Berlitz excels."Dandy just keeps making me work harder, as do my coaches. But when we're in the pool I take a look (over) and I see Timmy swimming hard and he is so close that I just want to swim harder. I'm a little weird kind of kid, I just like to out and sprint and whatever happens after that, happens."Dando was no slouch either. The junior picked up two second-place medals, while Berlitz captured two gold medals."I don't mind losing to him," Dando said. "He is such a great swimmer, and he really makes me better. We're so close to each other, and to think that (Danny) is only a freshman is unbelievable."In addition to finishing one-two in the 500 free, both Marian swimmers were first and second in the 200-yard freestyle. Tamaqua's Benjamin Turrano came in fourth place in the 200 event as well. Two other Tamaqua swimmers, Bryan Ramirez (11) and Andrew Castagua (12), swam in the event."All the hard work we do in and out of season is now paying off," said Berlitz. "We swim at the Y(MCA) in Hazleton and that's where all of our practices take place."Berlitz, who also swims for the Parkland Aquatic Club, one of the nation's top training facilities, hit the timer at 1:47.66 and Dando at 1:51.10 in the 200.Weatherly is in the same boat as Marian when it comes to swimming. There is no pool at the high school, and it is individuals that are entered into swim meets. And much like Berlitz and Dando, Jacob Sirkot and Keith Cullen were carrying the Wreckers swim banner.Sirkot flashed a big smile as he came away with two first-place wins in the 50-yard breaststroke and the 100 IM events."I'm so happy to win, it's just great," Sirkot said of his first ever league victory as he checked in with a time of 30.81in the breaststroke and was clocked at 1:02.45 in winning the 100. Tamaqua's Jacob Rudy finished sixth in the 50 breaststroke competition.Meanwhile, Cullen had a pair of strong showings in his two events. The Weatherly junior placed a strong second in the tough 50-yard butterfly event hitting the timer at 26.27, just behind Zachary Turnitza (26:11) from Pottsville. Cullen came in third in the 50-yard backstroke at 28:58. Blue Mountain's Mark Boran (24:91) was first and Turnitza (26.77) was third.And there were plenty of cheers and medal presentations to go around for the lady swimmers from Tamaqua and Marian."I am so excited, this is so great," yelled Angelina Krupko of Marian after she looked at her gold medal earned in the 100-yard breaststroke with a finishing time of 1:11.82. In addition, she picked up a first-place victory in the 50 breaststroke in a time of 32.82.But the big winner for the Fillies came from junior sensation Katie Kurzinsky. Kurzinsky rewrote the record in the 50-yard breaststroke in a time of 28:67, which was previously set in 2012 by Logan Baylor 28.94."I'm more than just pleased," Kurzinsky said when all was completed. "All the work you put in during the offseason, my coaches who made me get better. It's just great." She also was a gold medal winner in the 100 backstroke in a time of 1:00. Tamaqua's Lexi Kerstetter was second with her time of 1:05.64, while sophomore teammate Maizy Troxell finished 14 at 2:04.78. Kerstetter, who is a sophomore, placed seventh in the 100 freestyle and teammates Emily Andrews and Oliva Lattanzi placed 10th and 23rd. Andrews is a sophomore and Lattanzi a freshman. Lattanzi and teammate Julia Shellhamer tied for eighth place in the 100 breaststroke.It was a terrific run for a pair of Lady Blue Raiders in the all-day event. Rebecca Kanaskie and Abigail Bricker were all smiles with gold medals in the 200 IM and 50 Butterfly respectively. The Raiders were adding a second place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay in a time of 4:10.32 just behind the winning Pottsville team at 4:08.61."Any time you win at this (meet), makes it all the worthwhile," said Kanaskie as she swam in a time of 2:24.94."It's great to win a medals and first place," offered Brickler. The junior hit the timer at 29.70. She also finished 5th in the 50 freestyle at 28.05. Pottsville's Angela Eckert (26.67) was the winner.Two other records fell as well at the league meet. Nativity's freshman Ryan Schaeffer finished in a record setting time in the 100-yard freestyle event with a time of 48.38.Mark Boran capped off his four medal wins setting the new standard in the 100 backstroke at 53.87. Tamaqua's Bill Frederick and Rudy placed 14th and 23rd in the 50 freestyle; while teammate Jeff Letterhouse finished 7th in the 100 backstroke and came in third in the 200 IM in a 2:28.86 clocking, which went to Mahanoy Area's Joe Antolick with a 2:11.17In the 100 boy's butterfly, Tamaqua's Turrano added a fifth place finish, while Lady Blue Raider Sarah Maue finished 7th in the 200 IM. The Raiders had four relay teams place. The girls' second place team in the 400 featured Kersetter, Maue, Brickler and Kanaskie paving the way. And in the 200 freestyle for the Lady Raiders it was Jazmin Mena, Troxell, Shellhamer and Andrews.The guys finished in seventh place in the 400 freestyle relay made up of Letterhouse, Ramirez, Castagua and Turrano.