Babbitt's pool legacy still cemented

Eight years after Ricky Babbitt graduated from Carthage High School, it's as if he never left.

Babbitt still holds four individual pool records at the school and one pool relay mark. He also possesses five individual school records and one school relay mark. His posted record times are the concrete legacy that he left at Carthage and in the north country.

Babbitt remains a fixture in the Frontier League record book and served as a symbol that north country swimmers could compete at the state level when he won the 50-yard freestyle as a junior at the state meet in 2000 in Buffalo, making him the first swimmer from the area to win a state title in more than two decades. Babbitt also took second in the 100 freestyle.

The following year, Babbitt returned to states and improved his times in both the 50 free and 100 free, but settled for second in the 50 and third in the 100. His times in those events — 21.13 in the 50 and 46.96 in the 100 — remain Frontier League records. He also holds the league mark in the 200 free (1:49.76), which he established at sectionals.

Babbitt also holds the league meet marks in both the 50 free (21.78) and 100 free (48.44) and won six sectional championships. He was a five-time Frontier League all-star and an academic and swimming all-star on the national level in 2001.

"He was thankful for what had happened to him, but (he'd say) 'it's nice that I borrowed the records,'" said Bud Cole, who coached Babbitt at Carthage. "That was his term — borrowed."

Babbitt, who also played lacrosse for the Comets, swam for five years on varsity at Carthage. As an eighth-grader, he swam one week in the modified program. He broke eight school modified records in that one week and was promoted to varsity. His first appearance in states was as a sophomore when he finished eighth in the 50 and 10th in the 100.

After high school, Babbitt moved on to West Point and swam for four years at Army, continuing in the 50 and 100. During his senior year in 2004-05, Babbitt placed fourth in the 100 at the Patriot League championships and was named second-team all-league.

Babbitt graduated in 2005 from West Point with a degree in mechanical engineering and aeronautical systems. He has had two tours of Iraq with the 101st Air Assault Division in Fort Campbell, Ky., and has been promoted to Captain. He is currently assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C. Babbitt married his wife, Stephanie, on Aug. 8.

To read about previous selections to the Times' list of The North Country's Greatest Athletes of All-Time, log on to www.watertowndailytimes.com.