Making the transformation from being a big winner in the WPIAL to being a part of a big-time collegiate swimming program?

No big deal - if your name is Josh Barthlow.

A freshman on the East Carolina University men's swimming team, the 2004 Butler graduate set ECU records in the 100-yard backstroke at 49.80 seconds and in the 200-yard backstroke at 1:48.90 while competing in the recent Nike Cup Tournament at the University of North Carolina.

Both times marked personal bests for Barthlow.

"I was very surprised that happened," Barthlow said. "I haven't even rested or prepared for a big meet yet. … To get a personal best this quickly was very gratifying."

Barthlow's performance to date has been very gratifying to the East Carolina coaches.

"I never saw him swim in high school," ECU head coach Rick Kobe said. "We recruited him based on his times, which is a fairly common practice in swimming.

"When he first came here, he wasn't a big, muscular guy, but we saw he had a great feel for the water and wonderful technique. He excelled right away," he added.

ECU assistant swim coach Matt Jabs works with the sprinters.

"Josh is either very naturally gifted or he's had tremendous coaching," Jabs said. "He came to us as a talented athlete and we've only had to tweak his technique slightly.

"He does the little things better than most swimmers. He finishes strong, comes in and out of his turns smoothly, wastes very little movement. He is an efficient swimmer.

"Josh is well on his way to making his mark on this program. He has a chance to become one of the best swimmers to ever come out of this program," Jabs added.

That's high praise, considering Kobe is in his 25th year as East Carolina's head coach and has coached 23 NCAA championship qualifiers, 135 Conference USA champions and 64 all-conference swimmers.

"Josh is only a second off the NCAA qualifying time in the 100 back and three seconds off the 200 back," Kobe said. "I expect he'll get there.

"And with that kid swimming, we have a chance to win the Conference USA meet in both events," he added.

Barthlow swims the 50-yard freestyle for the Pirates as well.

Kobe has coached one Olympian during his career. Barthlow hopes to make it two.

"When I'm a senior, the Olympics will be coming around again and I'm hoping to make the Olympic Trials," he said.

"Right now, I'd like to help my team win the Conference USA championship and eventually the NCAA championship."

Barthlow was brought to East Carolina with such goals in mind. Kobe has had swimmers break more than 200 school records and 122 freshman marks since he became coach.

The 200-yard backstroke record Barthlow broke was set in the late 1980s.

"And he shattered it," Jabs said. "Nobody was expecting that."

"We don't do any redshirting," Kobe said. "Our freshmen come in, hit the water and go. We expect them to contribute as much as any other class."

Barthlow said his workout schedule is radically different from high school.

"It's a lot more intense and structured," he said. "There's a different coach for every phase of it. That's helped me improve as much as anything."

The swimmers reported in August and were immediately put on a running, lifting and swimming training regimen.

They swam twice a day, lifted three times a week and did dry-land training.

"And they have trainers constantly monitoring us, making sure we're OK," Barthlow said. "There are a lot of people helping me to succeed."

Barthlow left Wednesday for the U.S. Open, an international swimming competition this weekend in San Antonio, Texas.

"We were hoping he'd qualify for that," Kobe said. "That will be great competition for him."

"He's such a coachable kid, so dedicated to the sport," Jabs said. "He's willing to try anything you teach him."

And he's learning well.

"I wanted to come south and I like the coaches here," Barthlow said. "So far, so good, I guess."