Sportlight

Anthony Etri-Maughn specializes in the butterfly

By Bond Brungard
Posted 3/6/19

Newburgh Free Academy’s Anthony Etri-Maughn, a junior, has swum many events for the Goldbacks this season, but his specialty is the 100-butterfly.

“It’s hard. I have been doing …

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Sportlight

Anthony Etri-Maughn specializes in the butterfly

Posted

Newburgh Free Academy’s Anthony Etri-Maughn, a junior, has swum many events for the Goldbacks this season, but his specialty is the 100-butterfly.

“It’s hard. I have been doing it for four years,” he said, “and you get used to it.”

Etri-Maughn has swam the 50-freestyle, 100-freestyle, 100-freestyle, the 500-freestyle and the 200-individual medley, and he went to the state championships over the weekend with Newburgh’s 200-medley relay team.
And during the Section 9 championships Feb. 16 at Valley Central, Etri-Maughn swam his fastest butterfly with a time of 56.33, more than 2 seconds off the state qualifying time of 53.95.

“It is probably the most taxing of the strokes that you are going to do,” said Zach Williams, Newburgh’s coach. “Not that it’s easy for Anthony, but he has an extreme inclination to like the butterfly. I don’t know how to explain it. He doesn’t get as tired as a lot of the other guys. A lot of it is kick. It’s kind of like the motor.”

Etri-Maughn joined the varsity team in eighth grade with a friend, John Matthews, after swimming for Newburgh’s club team.

“Ever since then, it has stuck,” he said. “I am happy we did it.”

And now that he’s been on the team for four seasons, Etri-Maughn is part of a squad that is a competitive brotherhood.

“It’s interesting. It’s a very loving team,” he said. “Competitive, Friendly. It’s like a second family.”

Etri-Maughn has honed his skills in the 100-butterfly to come within a few seconds of qualifying for the state championships. He can’t explain why technically he’s so competitive in the event other than the drive to try and win.

“Just go for it,” he said.

During his senior year, Etri-Maughn wants to win the 100-butterfly at the Section 9 championships and qualify for the state meet.