Nine YMCA Swimmers Headed To State Competition In Buffalo

3-12-10

By BENJAMIN DEER

The Oneonta YMCA Swim Team boasts nine swimmers traveling up to Buffalo for the State Championships.  The meet will have a total of 104 events and runs March 12-14.
Swim coach Doug Macomber has been walking down memory lane this season.
“I used to coach here many, many years ago back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.  They wanted me back here at the Y so I took the job.  It’s my first year back and it feels good”, he said.
Macomber has a successful career as a swim instructor.  Each year he has coached, his swimmers have made it to the State Championships.  Macomber hopes to instill that experience in some of his young swimmers because one of them has not yet been to the state championship stage before.
Gabe House is only eight years-old, but is looking forward to the State Championships.
“I’m doing the 25 [meter] free, the 50 free, and the 25 breast”, he said.
This is the first year Gabe is swimming competitively for the Oneonta YMCA swim team, but he is already able to put things in perspective. 
“I’m having hopes.  I mean, it would be a great honor to win, but I don’t care if I lose”, Gabe said.
He knows that he will be back swimming competitively, and hopefully winning for many years to come at the Oneonta YMCA.
“I want to swim for as many years as I can”, he said.
Another young swimmer who is also looking forward to swimming at the state championships is nine year-old Akiva Garfield.  He was the all-state champion last year in the eight-and-under bracket, winning the 25-meter breast stroke.  This year, he is forced to move up an age bracket, but is still anxious to compete at the state-level.
“Yeah, I’m really excited.  I hope I win”, he said.
If everything goes to Macomber’s plan, Gabe will follow in Akiva’s footsteps and take home the gold in the eight-and-under bracket, and Akiva will continue winning as he moves up through the age groups.
Other Oneonta YMCA swimmers competing at the state championships are: Lucy Bischoff; Abby Miller; Kari Knudson; Stephanie Havens; Madison Allen; and Mackenzie Miller.
The state championships take place at the University of Buffalo, with events set to begin that Friday night.