Records fall in Butler pool
BUTLER TWP — The record board inside Butler High's natatorium was not safe Wednesday night.
The Golden Tornado boys toppled a pair of pool records and one school record in a 90-85 defeat of Hampton.
The new pool standards went to David Bocci in the 200-yard individual medley (one minute, 54.66 seconds) and Ben Borvendeg in the 50 freestyle (21.19).
Later in the evening, both swimmers teamed with Tanner Vietmeier and Sam Deemer to break the school record in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:28.75.
“Those times are even more important this year because we don't know how many heats they're going to have (at the WPIAL championship meet),” said Butler coach Dave Bocci. “And if a kid has to be out (due to COVID), that blows a hole into the training.”
In one respect, David Bocci's effort in the IM was three years in the making. The record he broke (1:54.9) was set by North Allegheny's Andrew Zhang in 2018.
“I was a freshman that year and swam in that race against him,” Bocci recalled. “I swam a 2:01 and got killed. But I remember thinking that night that maybe I could break the record one day. It's always been a goal of mine.
“I swam a 1:56 at North Allegheny last week,” he added. “My slowest stroke that night was the backstroke and I've been working on that in practice. We've been practicing twice a day two times a week and once the other days. I'm definitely on track.”
Borvendeg previously broke the pool record in the 50 free earlier this season with a time of 21.36. His bettered that by .17 seconds Wednesday.
“I felt amazing in the water coming into the season,” said Borvendeg. “Then came the shutdown for three weeks, but even after we came back from that, it didn't take me long to feel good.“My goal is to get my time down to 20-high by the end of the season.”David Bocci and Borvendeg both earned wins later in the meet in the butterfly and 100 freestyle, respectively.The 200 freestyle school record they helped to dethrone — 1:29.58 by Toubakaris, Platt, Street and Smythe — had stood since 1992.“That's probably going to be our best relay (moving forward),” said Coach Bocci. “We know Tanner can drop some more time.”Deemer also won two individual events for Butler (2-1), taking the 200 freestyle and backstroke.Butler's girls fell to 0-3 with a 107-77 loss to the Talbots.Abbie Griffith won the butterfly and backstroke and Dalayne Waterbec earned the diving win for the Golden Tornado.Butler hosts Armstrong next Wednesday.
<b>Hampton 107, Butler 77</b>200 medley relay: 1-Hampton 2:00.93200 freestyle: 1-Rita Khoury (H) 2:08.84200 individual medley: 1-Catie Kress (H) 2:21.2050 freestyle: 1-Emma An (H) 27.671-meter diving: 1-Dalayne Waterbec (B) 216.30100 butterfly: 1-Abbie Griffith (B) 58.44100 freestyle: 1-Belle Donato (H) 1:01.16500 freestyle: 1-Rita Khoury (H) 5:46.76200 freestyle relay: 1-Hampton 1:48.69100 backstroke: 1-Abbie Griffith (B) 1:00.04100 breaststroke: 1-Emma An (H) 1:16.61400 freestyle relay: 1-Hampton 4:02.97
<b>Butler 90, Hampton 85</b>200 medley relay: 1-Butler (Sam Deemer, Gideon Goettler, David Bocci, Ben Borvendeg) 1:37.07200 freestyle: 1-Sam Deemer (B) 1:50.02200 individual medley: 1-David Bocci (B) 1:54.6650 freestyle: 1-Ben Borvendeg (B) 21.191-meter diving: 1-Dan Farrell (H) 30.45100 butterfly: 1-David Bocci (B) 50.54100 freestyle: 1-Ben Borvendeg (B) 47.46500 freestyle: 1-Will Retsch (H) 5:04.84200 freestyle relay: 1-Butler (Ben Borvendeg, David Bocci, Tanner Vietmeier, Sam Deemer) 1:28.75100 backstroke: 1-Sam Deemer (B) 53.56100 breaststroke: 1-Ethan Apaliski (H) 1:01.77400 freestyle relay: 1-Hampton 3:30.23
