Butler swimmers reunited 50 years later in pool. What they achieved at YMCA Nationals surprised even them
BUTLER TWP — Butler High School swimmers Bob Cummings, Mike Kriley, Pat Kriley and Larry Dillon set the school record in the medley relay in 1976.
They also became All-Americans.
Reunited at a funeral and motivated by curiosity, the group got together in the pool again 50 years later, winning two gold medals and a silver at the YMCA National Masters meet in Sarasota, Fla., in April.
“Swimming laid the foundation for our lives, set us up for successful careers,” fellow Golden Tornado swimmer Paul Webber said. “We were so dedicated, in the pool for practice five days a week, before and after school. We became such tight friends.”
But as life goes on, friends become separated.
Frank Cicco, another member of that Golden Tornado swim team 50 years ago, remained in Butler as a volunteer YMCA swim coach. Cummings lives in Dallas, while Webber is in Bainbridge Island, Wash., Dillon lives in Knoxville, Tenn., and Pat Kriley lives in Doylestown.
Apart for years, the group rekindled their friendship while attending the funeral of Cummings’ brother, Bill, in 2018.
“We had spent so much time together as kids,” Cummings said. “Larry pointed out that we weren’t getting any younger and we should be celebrating life more, celebrating our accomplishments more.
“It was then that we decided to all get together once a year somewhere and just enjoy some time catching up and being with each other. Larry coined the phrase, ‘gather in gladness, not sadness.’ We decided to live by that.”
They gathered at each other’s homes, getting together in Dallas in 2023, in Tennessee in 2024 — and in Slippery Rock last year.
Dillon got into (senior) Masters swimming in 2022 and became national runner-up in the 1,650-, 1,000- and 500-yard freestyle races that year. He became national champion in the 1,650 last year.
So at the group’s annual reunion in Slippery Rock last September, he laid down the gauntlet.
“He said it would be fun to get shaved down and don the Speedos as a relay team one more time,” Cummings recalled. “He wanted our relay to reunite at the Masters nationals in Sarasota.
“We looked at each other and decided, let’s do it.”
Mike Kriley had physical ailments and was unable to commit. Webber, who had gotten into Masters swimming in Washington a number of years ago, committed to taking his spot on the relay.
“I was just swimming to keep fit,” Webber said. “Competition wasn’t important to me anymore. Larry had competed at nationals twice. That wasn’t me. But I was up for it.”
So was Cummings, who had not swam for years.
Cummings’ job working at a glass manufacture took him on the road to different cities four or five days a week.
“It’s been 45 years,” Cummings said of the last time he swam. “It was very taxing. I wondered … do I have the physical capabilities to do this? But I committed. I got up at 4:30 a.m. each morning in different cities to train and get in shape.”
He enlisted the help of Cicco, returning to Butler for a while to allow Cicco to coach him in the pool as part of that process.
Cicco agreed to go to Sarasota with the group to serve as their coach at the Masters competition. The others trained separately for months leading up to the meet.
“I was there for moral support more than anything,” Cicco said. “I offered to help out. For awhile, I didn’t think they would actually do this. There were no expectations.”
Cummings’ daughters, Sarah and Emma, went to Sarasota to watch their father compete.
“No way were we going to miss that,” Sarah Cummings Stewart said. “I remember going into the pool as a student at Butler and seeing my dad’s name on the record board on the wall. But I never saw him swim. I was so excited to see this.”
Since becoming All-Americans 50 years ago, the only time this relay unit appeared in the water together was for a few minutes of quick practice just before the Masters relays got underway.
They wound up winning gold in the 200 freestyle relay, then in the 400 freestyle relay. They capped their performance with a silver medal in the 200 medley relay.
And they’re not done.
“When we left Sarasota, we couldn’t wait to do it again,” Dillon said. “We’re coming back next year, and we’re bringing more of our high school teammates with us. We want to compete for the Masters team championship.”
Cicco is considering competing next year. Some female swimmers may join them, as well.
“You never know who’s going to show up at these Masters championship events,” Webber said. “We looked at last year’s times and, well, I didn’t think this was going to happen.
“But we were consistent, had a good team. I guess you never know unless you try.”
