MOULTRIE — When Bob Swadel retires as the general director of the Moultrie YMCA, he will leave a large and deep hole to fill.

Just a stroll through the modern facilities with youngsters and not-so-youngsters keeping active in a number of activities. His fingerprints are everywhere.

Fortunately for the community’s gymnasts, their families, friends and fans, Swadel is not retiring as the YMCA’s gymnastics coach.

He plans on taking next year’s team to YMCA Nationals in Washington State. That, however, may be his swan song.

If it is, it will be well-deserved. Swadel has labored quietly and successfully as Moultrie YMCA’s gymnastics coach since 1985.

He has produced a number of outstanding performers and outstanding teams.

But this year, it has been especially hard to keep gymnastics out of what we call newspaper folks call “the lede story.”

The Colquitt County High gymnasts won the state championship in April in what really was a victory of historic statewide proportions.

Nobody from outside the Atlanta area had ever won the state title before.

And the Atlanta-area schools enjoyed having the big trophy up there, passing it around a little bit, but keeping it away from the country folk.

A non-Atlanta area team had to be sure-enough, no-doubt-about-it better than the old guard.

The 2006 Colquitt County High team of Arrienne Miller, Krista Wood, Temira Davis, Rachel Dampier, Kaitlin Tucker, Crystal Blizzard, Leah May and Meghan Marshall was that good.

The Lady Packers have come close before and have had their share of outstanding gymnasts, but this year it all came together.

Donna Marshall, a pretty good gymnast in her day, had the honor of coaching the state champion team.

Bob Swadel had a little to do with the success of the high school team, all of whom stretched and sweated and ached and learned under his tutelage at the YMCA.

Miller, Wood, Davis, Dampier, Tucker, Blizzard, May and Marshall also have had the distinction this year of performing on his most proficient YMCA Nationals team.

May and Marshall formed half of the Championship level team that finished fourth at Nationals and posted the team’s highest score ever.

Dampier, Wood, Davis, Tucker and Blizzard were members of the Developmental team that finished second at Y Nationals.

The Moultrie teams won despite having to brave storms to reach the Hanover (Pa.) Area Family YMCA, where Nationals were held this year. Then gymnast Kenyadah Prime learned that her home in Valdosta had been destroyed by fire.

And then Marshall, the defending National floor champion, became ill and was was unable to perform to her capabilities.

Swadel has received excellent assistance from Marshall, Pat Murphy, Wendy Scites, Christina Blanton and Allen Harden and no program prospers without a diligent parents group. And the program would not be the same without Becky Bevacqua there amid the chalk dust.

Swadel will tell you this year’s group is the deepest he’s had.

May and Marshall, of course, stand out. Both earned All-State honors at the high school meet. And both will be back next year, when May will be just a sophomore and Marshall a senior. May also became the Moultrie YMCA’s first All-Around champion in Hanover last week.

The Moultrie YMCA’s program is strong enough to attract young gymnasts from nearby communities. Devin Corgan, a rising senior at Valdosta High, won a National vault championship in Hanover.

Davis and Wood have performed in their final meets. But plenty of talent is returning and more is being nurtured.

As long as Bob Swadel continues to find his way to the gym and help groom South Georgia’s finest, the Colquitt County gymnastics program should continue to flourish.