Butler Y records crumble

By John Enrietto Eagle Sports Editor

December 05, 2013 Last Updated: December 05, 2013 01:43 PM Amateur

No record is safe these days when it comes to the Butler YMCA swimming program.

Three swimmers — David Bocci, Laura Goettler and Camryn Forbes — combined to snap 13 team marks at the recent Braun Meet held at the SPIRE Institute.

Bocci, competing in the age 9-10 division, broke three of his own records. He also swam the 50-yard backstroke in 32.29 seconds, breaking eventual Olympic swimmer Eric Namesnik’s record of 32.50, set in 1981.

“David is a talented athlete that learned good fundamentals of swimming at a young age,” Butler Y swim coach Alex Fertelmes said. “He is a fierce competitor and enjoys swimming fast at practice as well as meets.”

Bocci also snapped the 200 individual medley record set by Chadd Cummings in 2008. He swam the event in 2:31.27 while Cummings’ mark was 2:39.73.

Goettler broke two of her own records and two set by Forbes within the past three years. Competing in the 11-12 age division, Goettler swam the 200 freestyle in 2:01.20 and the 200 backstroke in 2:18.53.

Forbes’ record in those events were 2:05.4 and 2:20.4, respectively.

“We have been rewriting the team record board over the last several seasons,” Fertelmes, a former Butler Y swimmer himself, said. “We have broken close to a dozen team records each season, going back several years now.

“As long as we have dedicated swimmers and a talented coaching staff, this will continue to be the trend.”

Forbes is certainly one of those dedicated swimmers. Now competing in the 15-18 age division, she broke four records at the Braun competition.

She swam the 500 freestyle in 5:08.59, shattering Brittany Vogel’s previous mark of 5:22.28 set in 2007. Forbes’ time of 57.82 seconds in the 100 backstroke bested the mark of 1:01.41, set by Emili Evans in 2001.

Forbes also topped Vogel’s record of 2:15.20 (2007) in the 200 individual medley by swimming a 2:07.71 and her time of 4:34.69 in the 400 IM beat Taylor Campbell’s previous mark of 4:55.86 set last year.

Francis Folz, a Mars junior who began training with the Butler Y team last spring, competes in the boys 15-18 division and swam the 100 freestyle in 47.70 seconds, tying Steve Platt’s record set in 1992.

“He has his eye on several more team records,” Fertelmes said of Folz.

The Butler squad is defending YMCA district champion and Fertelmes sees no reason why that success won’t continue.

“We have a good shot at repeating as district champions and should make a good showing at states,” he said. “We have eight swimmers that went to nationals last year still on the team and we have a few more that I anticipate qualifying for the national meet.

“I am not surprised we have broken so many records this early. I see how fast the kids swim in practice each day and how dedicated they are to the sport.”

Butler completed its first dual meet of the season recently at Laurel Highlands. The squad’s first place finishers follow:

Individuals

Rachel Birch — girls 7-8 25 back, 20.59

Noelle Ledford — girls 9-10 50 free, 35.20

Drew Griffith — boys 7-8 25 free, 16.49; 25 butterfly, 21.88; 100 IM, 1:44.74

Gideon Goettler — boys 7-8 50 free, 42.18; 25 back, 19.93; 25 breast, 24.97

Samuel Deemer — boys 9-10, 100 IM, 1:19.11

Andrew Pierre — boys 11-12 50 free, 29.65

Zach Wilson — boys 11-12 50 back, 35.56

David Webb — boys 13-14 50 free, 24.77; 100 free, 55.80

Ian Schirra — boys 13-14 200 free, 2:04.67; 100 back, 1:01.88; 200 breast, 2:32.0

Bryce McDeavitt — boys 13-14 500 free, 5:42.01