BUTLER TWP - Butler's swimmers won't be chasing the opposition this weekend, they'll be chasing time - a time that hasn't been caught in 19 years.

The Golden Tornado's 200-yard medley relay team of senior Josh Barthlow, senior Bobby Barkus, junior Eric Clouse and sophomore Matt Galante is out to snap the school record of 1 minute, 39.10 seconds when it competes at the PIAA meet at Penn State University's McCoy Natatorium Friday and Saturday.

That record has stood since 1985. The current quartet swam a personal-best 1:39.43 while finishing second to Central Catholic at the WPIAL meet.

"They're seeded 12th in the state meet right now, but Josh didn't taper his time at the WPIAL," Butler swim coach Amber Schmeider said. "His goals have been geared toward the state meet."

"All four of us can drop our times," Clouse said. "A tenth of a second each will do it."

"I think this is the best relay unit Butler has ever had," Barthlow said. "We want to prove that. I know we're gonna break that record."

Besides the 200 medley relay, Barthlow will be competing in the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly. Galante is also competing in the 100-yard freestyle.

Barthlow is competing in the PIAA meet for the fourth consecutive year. He won the 100 backstroke and placed fifth in the butterfly at the WPIAL meet.

He is considering three Division I colleges right now - South Carolina, East Carolina and Indiana.

"This state meet is important to me in that regard, too," Barthlow said of college. "How I perform there could affect how much scholarship money I get and what my spot on the team will be."

Barthlow will become the first Butler swimmer to go to a Division I program since Mike Kristufek went to West Virginia University three years ago.

Barthlow is leaving Butler's swimming program with three individual records. He owns the team 100 butterfly mark of 51.48, the 100 backstroke team record of 51.79 and the 100 backstroke pool record of 52.89.

All three of those marks were held by eventual U.S. Olympic swimmer Eric Namesnik in the mid-1980s.

"Without a doubt, Josh is the best swimmer to come through this program since then," Schmeider said.

Barkus is headed to Duquesne University to swim next year. He finished seventh in the 100 breast stroke at the WPIAL meet, setting a personal record in the process.

Knee surgery during September of his sophomore year limited Barkus' pool time, but he rebounded last season.

"His mind-set changed a lot," Schmeider said. "Bobby did everything we asked him to do to help the team."

"Our relay has been together all year and setting the school record has been our goal all year," Barkus said. "We all want it.

"This is how we want to go out. I've been swimming with this group of guys for years."

Butler's boys finished 2-9 in dual meets this season, but the 200 medley relay always got meets started with a positive result.

"Eric and I will be back, but you never know what's going to happen in swimming," Galante said. "Josh and Bobby are excellent. We've got the team in place right now to get the record, and we're going for it.

"We've kept a positive attitude all year. Doing what we've done despite a 2-9 record is something we're all proud of."

Clouse said the quartet has always taken the approach that it can improve.

"We're each swimming only 50 yards, so each individual can only cut so much time," he said. "But doing it as a group, it adds up."