JERSEY SHORE-Steve Muthler of Antes Fort and several other local men recently competed in two YMCA swimming championships and won titles in both.
Muthler competed in the Allegheny Mountain Y Masters Swim Association championship meet at Clarion University on March 31 and April 1, and the YMCA National Masters Swimming Championships on April 13-15.
Muthler was team representative and one of five men with local roots who captured the medium size team title at Clarion University. The medium division was made up of teams with four or five swimmers, representing the Jersey Shore YMCA, part of the River Valley YMCA.
Article Photos
A group of local swimmers, including Jersey Shore’s Steve Muthler, captured two YMCA swimming titles recently. The swimmers are, from left, Mike Campbell, Micah Metzel, Mark Keister and Muthler. Team member Dave Sheets was not present when the photo was taken. In front of the men are awards the team has won from 1996 to 2011.
Muthler, along with Mike Campbell of Unityville, Mark Keister of Towanda, Dave Sheets of Clarion, and Micah Metzel, originally from Dallastown, Pa., teamed to improve last year's performance, when they finished second in the large team division. The two-day competition was attended by 132 swimmers in age groups that ran from 18-19 to 80-84.
Sheets only swam six events because he was able to attend only the first day of the competition.
The Jersey Shore team scored 225 points, with Erie taking second with 218, and Cranberry Township third, with 207. More information is on the League web site:www.amymsa.org
Campbell and Muthler had both served as coach of the Lock Haven YMCA swim team, when Sheets and Keister had been members of that team. Muthler went on to coach at the Jersey Shore Y, and Campbell recently retired as coach at Bloomsburg High School. Keister currently coaches at Athens High School, and Sheets at Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh.
Muthler then joined with a group of swimmers to represent the South Hills YMCA (Pittsburgh) at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for the YMCA National Masters Swimming Championships. Fifteen women and fifteen men made up the team, many of whom competed in the Allegheny Mountain Y Masters Swim Association, including Muthler.
The team finished fifth overall, with the women taking fourth, and the men seventh. Some teams had in excess of 100 swimmers. Muthler competed in 13 events, 5 relay and 8 individual. He finished first in the 60-64 men's 100 IM and the 200 IM along with other placements.
Muthler said his team has put the town of Jersey Shore on the map, at least for 'old-guy' swimming.
