Unavoidably overshadowed by the March 28 death of long-time YMCA swimming coach John "Pump" McLaughlin, local swimmers turned in impressive performances at the state championship held March 26 and 27 at Penn State.

Sending 31 swimmers to the state meet, the Butler YMCA was certainly well-represented in the pool. The Butler YMCA was also well represented on the awards stands.

Butler's Cadet Girls (ages 9-10) finished first overall in their age group. The Cadet girls' 200-medley relay team captured first place for the second year in a row. The same girls (Brianna Keelan, Jordan McElhaney, Nicolette Krause and Morgan Morrison) also brought home the gold medal in the 200-freestyle relay, setting a state record in the process.

Butler High School standout, Josh Barthlow won second place in the 200-yard Individual Medley and 100-yard backstroke events. Barthlow went on to place third in the 100-yard backstroke at the YMCA nationals.

The strong performances by so many Butler YMCA swimmers were the highlights of an emotional weekend as they performed under the watchful eye of Pump, who was able to attend the event despite his failing health. The YMCA's swimmers deserve a hearty cheer for strong performances under difficult circumstances.