Charles City swimmers save best for last at YMCA State Meet

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Personal-bests are nice to attain as long as they don’t come too early.

That’s why it was a good thing that qualifying members of the Charles City YMCA Swim Team peaked at the right time during last weekend’s state meet.

“All our swimmers recorded personal-bests down there,” team head coach Julie Marty said about the team’s overall performance at the Marshalltown YMCA pool.

Of course, you’d better swim pretty well beforehand just to get down there. The Charles City team did while qualifying 11 swimmers.

“That’s more than we took down last year,” Marty said while referencing her first year as the team’s head coach.

Marty’s daughter Katlyn, who was among the qualifiers, believes even a larger contingent of “Comet” swimmers will qualify for future state meets.

“I see this team getting bigger and better the more the word gets out about us,” Katlyn said. “We no longer have the big pool (at the former Charles City Middle School), but we’ve found ways to use the space that we have.”

During the high school season, Katlyn Marty — a Charles City student — swims for Mason City, like several of her fellow YMCA swimmers, including freshman Nia Litterer, who qualified for a maximum five events at the state meet.

“I’ve been swimming since first grade,” Litterer said. “It’s my No. 1 sport. Hopefully, I’ll get to swim in college.”

Nia’s older brother, Nicholas Litterer — who is a junior at Charles City — proved to be one of the outstanding swimmers at the state meet.

Going in as the No. 1 seed in the Boys 15-21 100 backstroke, Nicholas won the event by more than a second-and-a-half — a multi-body-length win.

His other gold-medal win in the Boys 15-21 200 freestyle was a little closer.

“I was up against my Mason City teammate,” Nicholas said of Randy Vaughan, who was the No. 1 seed in the event. “He was winning the whole race, but I just reached out at the end and got him by a tenth of second.”

Litterer’s time was 1:48.36; Vaughan’s time was 1:48.49

Nicholas also placed second in the Boys 15-21 200 backstroke.

Like the Litterer siblings, Stephen Bachman is a Charles City student who swims for Mason City — and a five-event YMCA State Meet qualifier.

With Litterer, Mason Deeter and Ryan Kvernevig, Bachman helped the Comets take sixth in the Boys 15-21 200 freestyle relay and eighth in the Boys 15-21 200 medley relay.

Bachman has one more year of eligibility, and believes next year’s team should be even stronger.

“That is if we all stay in good shape,” Bachman said. “I hope to be so, but I like to eat.”

Other Charles City YMCA swimmers who qualified for state include AnneMarie Hansen, Morgan Haus, Kelsey Kane, Trent Rodruck and Emma Roney.

Next season won’t start until next fall.

“Before sign-ups, we have a two-week trial period for new swimmers just to see if they like it,” Julie Marty said. “It’s free. We don’t charge a sign-up fee unless they decide to join.”