Local swim club hosts a return to competition with USA Swimming-sanctioned event

USA Swimming in late June released a comprehensive plan for a return to competition for local clubs throughout the country after the national organization halted events in March in the wake of the burgeoning coronavirus pandemic.

Racer-X, a member of Allegheny Mountain Swimming, is one of the first clubs in the country to hold a USA Swimming sanctioned event.

The club’s Zombie Time Trial intersquad meet is set for Saturday, the first day USA Swimming is permitting meets to take place. The event at the six-lane outdoor pool at the Fox Chapel Racquet Club begins at 7 a.m.

“I am pretty sure we will be one of the first meets in the country with the early start on the East Coast,” Racer-X director Jim Skirboll said.

Skirboll stressed that the meet will follow all of the safety regulations put forth by Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and USA Swimming.

“It will be a very conscientious effort by everyone,” he said. “I really want to thank the Fox Chapel Racquet Club for letting us have it here. Allegheny Mountain Swimming was gracious in helping get this sanctioned. ”

Swimmers at the meet — 40 Racer-X members are expected to compete from 12U and older — will be able to earn sanctioned times toward future meet opportunities.

“Say they have junior nationals in December if everything goes as planned; some of these kids haven’t had a chance to qualify for it,” Skirboll said. “They will have the chance to qualify at this meet, because these times will count.”

Some of the top area swimmers will headline the event, including Central Catholic graduate Chuck Destro who went on to star as a freestyle sprinter at Purdue and also qualify for both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials.

Other notable participants include PIAA champion and Olympic Trials qualifier Zoe Skirboll (Fox Chapel junior), U.S. Open qualifier Ella Ogden (North Allegheny) and junior nationals qualifiers Ethan Tulenko (Norwin grad/George Washington University), Talia Bugel (Fox Chapel sophomore), Isaiah Gregory (Penn Hills grad/LaSalle University) and Ellie Tiskus (Oakland Catholic grad/Penn State).

The time trial will feature the 200-yard individual medley, 100 freestyle, 100 IM, 1,000 free, 100 breaststroke, 50 breast, 200 free, 100 butterfly, 400 IM, 50 fly, 200 fly, 100 backstroke, 50 back, 500 free, 200 back, 50 free and 200 breast.

The 100 IM and 50 events are for those 12 and under, while the rest are in the open and mixed categories.

Skirboll said locations were sought for the meet for several weeks before the Fox Chapel Racquet Club agreed this week to host the event.

“I was scrambling because I really wanted to have a meet for my kids,” Skirboll said. “They’ve been working so hard. I feel bad because they hadn’t been able to swim. That’s what they do. They love to compete. I’m just glad the kids will have the chance to show what they can do.”