Mary Zimmerman and Joann Butkus have trained together for several years with the Schuylkill YMCA Tempest swim team.
Because they are three years apart in age, however, they've never raced competitively against each other.
Zimmerman, a freshman at Schuylkill Haven, finally got the chance to race against Butkus, a senior at Tamaqua, in Friday's season-opening Schuylkill Sprint Meet.
It turned out to be the race of the night.
In the first individual event of her high school career, Zimmerman edged Butkus by three-hundreths of a second to win the girls' 200 freestyle at the Ned Hampford Natatorium.
"It was really fun ... great," said Zimmerman, who added a victory in the 100 freestyle. "I love Joann. Whenever we swim against each other, we really push each other."
Zimmerman and Butkus, a three-time state qualifier and two-time Republican-Herald Girls' Swimmer of the Year, swam side-by-side for the first seven laps before Zimmerman surged slightly ahead over the final 25 yards.
Zimmerman touched in 2:04.33, Butkus in 2:04.36.
"It was amazing," said Zimmerman, who was speechless for several seconds before answering.
"Joann is such a great swimmer, and I've always looked up to her and tried to be like her,'' Zimmerman added. "Just to swim against her was really great."
Zimmerman was one of several standout performers at the Schuylkill Sprint Meet, which was a modified version of the Schuylkill League Swimming Championships that are held in the same pool in February.
Five of the league's six teams competed, along with independent swimmers from Marian and Weatherly. The meet featured 10 events, with the 500 freestyle and diving eliminated and the distances of the IM, butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke cut in half. No team scores were kept.
The close race with Zimmerman was Butkus' only defeat of the night, as she broke the meet record in the 50 breaststroke with a time of 31.80 and helped the Tamaqua 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams to victory.
Schuylkill Haven's Allison Adams (100 IM, 50 backstroke) was also a double-winner, while Mahanoy Area's Noel Bernardyn (50 freestyle), Tamaqua's Danielle DeCindio (50 fly) and the Blue Mountain 200 freestyle relay team of Rachel Juritsch, Karissa Elser, JoJo Jacobson and Maddie Bartush added victories.
On the boys' side, Pottsville's Josh Marx had a hand in four victories, winning the 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly and swimming a leg on the Crimson Tide's victorious 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams.
Marx, a junior, only began swimming competitively last season. His career began exactly a year ago in the Schuylkill Sprint Meet.
"I was kind of surprised," Marx said. "I never expected to do what I did."
Marx's efforts drew praise from Pottsville head coach Ned Hampford.
"He feels the water real well, and he's really turned up his work habit," Hampford said. "He's getting after it each and every day in practice. The group of kids we have is working real hard."
Blue Mountain's Nathanael Marino broke the meet record in the 100 IM with a time of 30.65, won the 50 breaststroke, then teamed with Joey McLaughlin, Colin Greenawalt and Mark Boran to capture the 200 freestyle relay.
Schuylkill Haven's Billy Sieck (200 freestyle, 100 freestyle) also was a double-winner, while Tamaqua's Jake Kropp took the 100 backstroke.
Sieck, a big reason the Hurricanes are expected to challenge Blue Mountain for the Schuylkill League boys' crown, won his races in different fashions.
In the 200 freestyle, Sieck built a big early lead and fended off Marian freshman Timmy Dando at the end. In the 100 freestyle, Sieck paced himself early, then made a late charge to edge Blue Mountain's Boran by five-hundreths of a second.
"I wanted to start out fast and try to come back harder," said Sieck, a senior. "You have to learn to pace yourself. That's something I have to work on more.
"(In the last race) I saw they had a half-body length lead. I just wanted to get back and maybe get second. I didn't know I'd get first."