Charles City YMCA Swim Team gets ready for state meet

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — The analogy “Big Fish in a Small Pond” doesn’t apply to the Charles City YMCA Swim Team.

Though in reference to an increase in state meet qualifiers, the team has grown yet still wishes it had its big pond back.

“We tried to come up with ways to raise money to keep it maintained, but it was too much,” team member Katlyn Marty said about the eight-lane pool within the old Charles City Middle School, the team’s former home water hole, that has remained drained and unused for the past two years.

“I wish we had it back,” said longtime YMCA swimmer Nia Litterer, who echoed the sentiments of many of her teammates, many of whom also began their competitive swimming careers at the old pool.

“And it was nice to be able to host meets,” Litterer said.

Fortunately for the team, there remains one other non-hotel indoor pool in the city — the four-lane pool at the Charles City YMCA.

“We often have to have hold two practices a day … an early one for the younger swimmers and a later one for the older,” said CC YMCA Swim Team coach Julie Marty. “The old pool is never coming back. We tried to keep it going, but the way things are it’s just not going to happen. So we have to do our best with this pool.”

About the time the former middle school pool shut down, the Charles City YMCA Swim Team was nearly — figuratively and somewhat literally — dead in the water. The team was suddenly without a coach.

“That’s when I decided to step up,” said Julie Marty, who remains a one-person coaching staff.

“I do get a little help from former swimmers who come in to volunteer their time,” Marty said.

For this year’s YMCA State Swim Meet to take place Saturday and Sunday (March 3 and 4) at the Marshalltown YMCA, the Charles City team has qualified 11 swimmers in 17 events.

Last year, Charles City sent six swimmers down.

Among those who earned the berths at the qualifying meet in Spencer on Feb. 10 is Stephen Bachman, who qualified in five events — Boys 15-21 50 Free, Boys 15-21 100 Free, Boys 15-21 100 Breast, Boys 15-21 200 Medley Relay and Boys 15-21 200 Free Relay.

“That’s the most you can qualify for — five events,” Bachman said.

Other five-event qualifiers include Nia Litterer — Girls 15-21 50 Free, Girls 15-21 100 Free, Girls 15-21 100 Butterfly, Girls 15-21 Free Relay and Girls 15-21 Medley Relay; and Nicholas Litterer — Boys 15-21 100 Back, Boys 15-21 200 Back, Boys 15-21 200 Free, Boys 15-21 Free Relay and Boys 15-21 200 Medley Relay.

Like his sister Nia, Nicholas is a Charles City student who swims for the Mason City High School team. Recently, Nicholas placed 14th in the 100 Back at the Iowa High School State Meet while scoring 3 points for the Mohawks.

His fastest 100 Back as a high schooler ranks second all-time at Mason City.

Nicholas will be among the top seeds in the 100 Back for this weekend’s YMCA State Meet.

“I won a (first-place) medal before … when I was 11 in the individual medley,” Nicholas said before joking, “They don’t let me swim that anymore.”

Nicholas will swim the butterfly leg in the aforementioned Boys 15-21 200 Medley Relay.

Other Charles City YMCA Swim Team state qualifiers include Katlyn Marty — Girls 15-21 200 Free Relay and Girls 15-21 200 Medley Relay; Mason Deeter — Boys 15-21 100 Back, Boys 15-21 200 Free Relay and Boys 15-21 200 Medley Relay; AnneMarie Hansen — Girls 11-12 50 Back; Morgan Haus — Girls 13-14 200 Free and Girls 15-21 Free Relay; Kelsey Kane — Girls 15-21 Free Relay and 15-21 Girls Medley Relay; Ryan Kvernevig — Boys 15-21 200 Free Relay and Boys 15-21 200 Medley Relay; Trent Rodruck — Boys 9-10 50 Back; and Emma Roney — Girls 15-21 200 Medley Relay.