The following story is by Hodding Carter, head coach of the Penobscot Bay YMCA Sailfish swim team. The team recently competed in the YMCA National competition in Greensboro, North Carolina. The team sent four youth swimmers in Julian Abaldo, Makoto Hayashi, Kyle Crans and Mark McCluskey. 

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The ultimate goal of any Y swimmer — besides the Olympics, of course — is to qualify for Y Nationals. It is an incredibly inspiring and fast championship meet, pitting the fastest Y swimmers from every state in the nation. While any Y swimmer 12-and-older can attend if they make the cut time, it is usually only the older, seasoned teens who are able to do so.

In previous years, we've had local star swimmers — like Lianne McCluskey, Tyler Arndt and Davis Saltonstall — qualify, but it was almost always just one swimmer a year. This is an unprecedented and even historic occasion for the Pen Bay Y Sailfish because not only did three of our swimmers qualify in individual events but thanks to the addition of Rotary exchange student Makoto Hayashi, 17, to our team, we had our first-ever 200-yard freestyle relay make the cut.

In addition, not only did our relay [team] make the qualifying time but it did so by more than a second, getting seeded 35th out of 64 relay teams. Considering there were more than 1,200 elite swimmers at the meet this was an amazing accomplishment all by itself.

Down in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, the 200-free relay was on the first day of competition and the guys finished 53rd. I believe this had more to do with adjusting to traveling and the intensity of the moment than anything else since each relay member swam faster as the week progressed.

Of course, most impressive was the fact that three of the young men qualified in individual events. Julian Abaldo, 16, made it in both the 100 and 200 yard butterfly events. Kyle Crans, 16, qualified in the 100 freestyle. Senior Mark McCluskey, 18, made the 50 freestyle cut. This was the first Nationals for all three young men (Julian Abaldo qualified last season but did not attend) and it is a grueling five day meet (March 30-April 3) with pressure and nerves the main obstacles to overcome.

While just making the cut times and attending the meet was an honor in itself — and the main goal of the season for all three boys — they did a tremendous job representing the Sailfish in each of their races. Julian was 141st in the 100 fly and 79th in the 200. Kyle was 105th in the 100 freestyle. Mark was 113th in the 50 freestyle.

It's been my pleasure to coach these young men this past season, as well as the many previous years they've put into this sport. I've coached Mark and Kyle for 8 years now, Julian a few years less and Mak just this one season but each has matured both as an athlete and a person during our time together.

It is no easy feat: they work on their swimming up to four hours a day during the main winter season, even getting up at 5:00 AM three days a week to get in the first of two practices. Many years, they've trained year-round, taking no more than a few weeks off at the end of the two main seasons. I'm honored to take part in this process while also being truly impressed with how naturally talented they are.

We're not a very large community so to have four swimmers compete at this elite level is quite a humbling experience.

Reach the sports department at: sports@penbaypilot.com.