Butler High swim coach Jeff Armstrong says a program is only as stable as its ground floor.

If that's the case, he doesn't have much to worry about.

The Butler County Family YMCA's 8-and-under swim team recently won the boys and girls district championships at Indiana (Pa.) University.

The twin titles at that age group are believed to be a first in the program's history.

"I know we had one of those teams win districts maybe 15 years ago, but I don't think both of our teams ever won in the same year,"said Butler Y8-and-under swim coach Correne Jones said.

She would know. She swam for the late John "Pump"McLaughlin, the YMCA's longtime coach, as a child and coached for him as an adult.

"I stopped coaching for a while, but when Pump got sick, they asked me to fill in and I gladly did,"Jones said.

She hasn't left since. When Armstrong was hired as Butler's high school and the YMCA swim coach, Jones was one of the coaches he retained.

"It's a tough job, working with kids that age in the pool," Armstrong said. "The 8-and-under division was the age group I started out with in coaching.

"Corry had such a good reputation and rapport with the young kids. It was a no-brainer to ask her to stay."

The team consists of 26 swimmers, many of whom have parents who swam for McLaughlin. Jones has two daughters, 12-year-old Katelyn and 9-year-old Abigail, in the YMCA swim program.

David Napora, now a dentist in the area, swam for McLaughlin for 10 years. Jones coaches his children, Sevryn, 8, and Aryanna, 6. Sevryn Napora won a district title in the breaststroke.

Ian Schirra won the 100 individual medley while Meredith Cummings, Morgan Keelan, Rylie McCune and Maya Wirtz combined to win a relay at the district meet.

"The most rewarding thing for me is that almost every kid contributed points for the team,"Jones said. "It truly was a team victory in that regard."

The elder Napora said the youngsters' enthusiasm went a long way in determining their success.

"The YMCAprogram dropped off for a while in terms of numbers and performance, but now it's coming back," he said. "Coach Jones has been a big part of that.

"You want a young kid's first experiences with the team to be a positive one. You want to spark early interest in the sport and it helps if they're winning."

Both boys and girls 8-and-under teams were undefeated this season. The Butler boys scored 136 points at the district meet, easily beating out runner-up McKeesport's 113.

Butler's girls scored 123.5 points, edging runner-up Greensburg's 119. There were 20 teams competing at the district meet.

There is no YMCA state meet for the 8-and-under age group, but one member of the team, Max Merhaut, swam well enough to qualify for the 9- and 10-year-old state meet.

The 8-under team practices for one hour three days a week, along with spending six hours in the pool for a Saturday tournament.

"I look in their eyes on those long days and I see the dedication these kids have,"Jones said. "It's amazing for that age level. It's such a joy to work with them.

"The fact that a lot of their parents swam for Pump — some swam with me — really helps. They remember what they got out of the program, so they support the program."

Armstrong said it takes a "special touch" to introduce young children to competitive swimming.

"Parents look for answers. And the first one they look to is Corry,"he said.

The YMCA8-and-under swim season is officially over. Butler's practices are not.

"We're still practicing, just to have fun and exercise together,"Jones said. "I've got 24 of 26 kids still showing up. I treat them like they're my own.

"I appreciate the fact that these little kids still want to come back. They're not burned out at all.

"I hope Pump is smiling down at us right now," she added. "They're carrying on his spirit. I know that."