WEEDSPORT - Throughout the autumn, while the community of Weedsport followed the adventures of the Bach brothers and the state champion Warriors football team, another set of twin brothers could be seen in the stands, their chests painted with one of the letters in W-E-E-D-S-P-O-R-T.
Matt Baker, right, and twin brother Mark are enjoying a great season for the Weedsport boys swimming team, but there is more to them than their success in the pool. Reid Silverman / The Citizen
But most of the time, they could usually be found churning out laps in the pool, getting ready for a run at the best swimming performances of their lives.
And now, it's the Baker brothers' time to shine.
Already two of the top five performers in Weedsport's proud swimming history, seniors Matt and Mark Baker have been notching some of the best times in all of Section III, in a plethora of events. Together they're keeping the Warriors afloat and buzzworthy in an otherwise down year for the team.
"They're really the anchors for our team," said Weedsport head coach Gary Earl. "I would say they're probably in the top five all time of Weedsport swimmers."
So far this season, Mark has the second fastest time in Section III in the 100 freestyle (49.17, sectionals), and the 50 freestyle (22.62 seconds, sectionals), and top 10 times in the 100 butterfly (59.68) and 200 freestyle (1:55.10). The first two of those performances came at the Section III championships on Friday.
Matt, meanwhile, qualified for the state meet on Friday in the 100 backstroke (57.01), the second best time in that event this season. He also won the 200 individual medley on Friday, in 2:08.49, and he owns the third fastest time this season in the 100 free, although he is ceding that event to Mark for the rest of the way.
With broad shoulders and narrow waists on their 6-foot-2 frames, the Bakers appear born to swim. And indeed, they're following closely in the footsteps of their older brothers, Jim and Tim, accomplished ex-Warriors who went on to swim at Hamilton and Nazareth, respectively.
Mark and Matt are the sort of twins who finish each other's sentences, who once a year would switch classes just for yucks, who are best friends.
Who are generally inseparable, so much so that they have never seriously considered going their separate ways for college (they plan to attend, and swim at, either Le Moyne College or SUNY Geneseo).
"We're really close until we fight - and then we're even closer," said Matt, the slightly more talkative one.
Certainly, it's difficult to tell them apart. In the pool, Matt always wears a red Speedo and goggles, while Mark goes with blue. Otherwise, Earl said, he would be at a loss to identify one from another.
While they both are wearing variations of the Mohawks haircut at the moment, Matt sports more hair on his head than Mark, and there's a blond spot on the back of his head that normally serves as the most failsafe manner of distinguishing them.
While Earl says Mark used to be a tad more consistent than Matt, with a tad less competitiveness, he says that distinction has begun to erode.
"We're both just as dedicated," said Mark. "We both love swimming."
For those who know them the best, it's easiest to tell the Bakers apart by the way they behave.
"After a while, you kind of learn little things that separate each one of them," said junior Josh Hughes. "They're slightly different. It's kind of hard to explain. Mark's a little bit more of a serious type, and Matt's a little bit more of a joking type, an easygoing guy."
Although they're Eagle Scouts and members of the National Honor Society, they're not overly straight-laced. At practices, they keep the mood light, preferring to joke around after swimming hard. Around the pool and in the hallways at school, they sing - a lot, and not nearly as well as they swim.
"They sing all the time," said senior Alex Baker, one of two other Bakers on the team who are unrelated to the twins (freshman Luke is the other). "We hear it all the time. One will start singing, the other will sing along, and then they'll change songs at the same time."
"They can't sing at all, either," Hughes said. "And they're so off-key. They shouldn't be allowed to sing. It's pretty funny when they do."
Incidentally, this is in stark contrast to the consummately quiet Bach brothers.
Which brings us to the question of the day in Weedsport: who will be the Warriors' the next pair of twins? Any Baxters out there? Bacons? Bacharachs? Your school needs you.
Staff writer Andrew Walter can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 258 or
citizensports@lee.net
And now, it's the Baker brothers' time to shine.
Already two of the top five performers in Weedsport's proud swimming history, seniors Matt and Mark Baker have been notching some of the best times in all of Section III, in a plethora of events. Together they're keeping the Warriors afloat and buzzworthy in an otherwise down year for the team.
"They're really the anchors for our team," said Weedsport head coach Gary Earl. "I would say they're probably in the top five all time of Weedsport swimmers."
So far this season, Mark has the second fastest time in Section III in the 100 freestyle (49.17, sectionals), and the 50 freestyle (22.62 seconds, sectionals), and top 10 times in the 100 butterfly (59.68) and 200 freestyle (1:55.10). The first two of those performances came at the Section III championships on Friday.
Matt, meanwhile, qualified for the state meet on Friday in the 100 backstroke (57.01), the second best time in that event this season. He also won the 200 individual medley on Friday, in 2:08.49, and he owns the third fastest time this season in the 100 free, although he is ceding that event to Mark for the rest of the way.
With broad shoulders and narrow waists on their 6-foot-2 frames, the Bakers appear born to swim. And indeed, they're following closely in the footsteps of their older brothers, Jim and Tim, accomplished ex-Warriors who went on to swim at Hamilton and Nazareth, respectively.
Mark and Matt are the sort of twins who finish each other's sentences, who once a year would switch classes just for yucks, who are best friends.
Who are generally inseparable, so much so that they have never seriously considered going their separate ways for college (they plan to attend, and swim at, either Le Moyne College or SUNY Geneseo).
"We're really close until we fight - and then we're even closer," said Matt, the slightly more talkative one.
Certainly, it's difficult to tell them apart. In the pool, Matt always wears a red Speedo and goggles, while Mark goes with blue. Otherwise, Earl said, he would be at a loss to identify one from another.
While they both are wearing variations of the Mohawks haircut at the moment, Matt sports more hair on his head than Mark, and there's a blond spot on the back of his head that normally serves as the most failsafe manner of distinguishing them.
While Earl says Mark used to be a tad more consistent than Matt, with a tad less competitiveness, he says that distinction has begun to erode.
"We're both just as dedicated," said Mark. "We both love swimming."
For those who know them the best, it's easiest to tell the Bakers apart by the way they behave.
"After a while, you kind of learn little things that separate each one of them," said junior Josh Hughes. "They're slightly different. It's kind of hard to explain. Mark's a little bit more of a serious type, and Matt's a little bit more of a joking type, an easygoing guy."
Although they're Eagle Scouts and members of the National Honor Society, they're not overly straight-laced. At practices, they keep the mood light, preferring to joke around after swimming hard. Around the pool and in the hallways at school, they sing - a lot, and not nearly as well as they swim.
"They sing all the time," said senior Alex Baker, one of two other Bakers on the team who are unrelated to the twins (freshman Luke is the other). "We hear it all the time. One will start singing, the other will sing along, and then they'll change songs at the same time."
"They can't sing at all, either," Hughes said. "And they're so off-key. They shouldn't be allowed to sing. It's pretty funny when they do."
Incidentally, this is in stark contrast to the consummately quiet Bach brothers.
Which brings us to the question of the day in Weedsport: who will be the Warriors' the next pair of twins? Any Baxters out there? Bacons? Bacharachs? Your school needs you.
Staff writer Andrew Walter can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 258 or
citizensports@lee.net
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