Butterfly

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Michael Phelps remembers this as the city where he "came back," prompting his coach Bob Bowman to ask with mock innocence, "from where?" Bowman well knows, of course, that Phelps was referring to swimming his first race, the Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix in 2009, after returning from a suspension after a photo of him with a marijuana bong surfaced. This weekend, he competed here for the last time, another stop in the valedictory lap he has been taking as he trains for his fourth and final Olympics this summer.

Michael Phelps won his second gold medal of the Columbus Grand Prix by cruising to victory in the 200-meter butterfly Saturday. His time of 1 minute, 55.17 seconds unofficially is the fastest in the world this year. "It's my second-fastest in-season time ever," said Phelps, of Baltimore. "I guess I can't complain too much, but I wanted to break [1:55]. There's some little, small stupid things that I shouldn't be making mistakes doing — a couple of walls I was long on and breathing off the first stroke the last two 50s. It wasn't very good.

The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. on Mondays. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). We do not accept results by phone. When two Howard County teams play, players from both teams (first and last names) must be mentioned in the write-up. Questions? Call 410-332-6578. Swimming Columbia Clippers Columbia Aquatics Clippers swim team participated in two meets in December, the Maryland Suburban Swim Club's Christmas Championship at Fairland Aquatics Center and the Sport Fair Winter Classic at George Mason.

I was surprised to see several monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) fluttering around our "mums" (chrysanthemums) within two days of Jack Frost burying the plants beneath several inches of snow. Living a mere two to eight weeks, monarch butterflies migrate from north to south and then back again - making the round trip between Canada and Mexico during the course of several generations. They start the southward leg of their migration in August. Since they feed on plant nectar and not many plants bloom at this time of year, these colorful insects congregate around our mums.

Winfield Elementary School outdoor school teacher Mary Hoy was dressed for the part on Oct. 19 when school's kindergarten class hosted a butterfly celebration. The class held a "butterfly parade" — inside the school because of poor weather — but went outside to release the butterflies and celebrate their migration to Mexico. Hoy and the students "sprouted" wings to mark the occasion.

It's always a treat to spot a butterfly flying through your garden, and your appreciation is enhanced knowing that these short-lived insects are as ephemeral as they are colorful. What you probably didn't know is that so many butterflies that have forever flown from the scene are resting in perpetuity - actually, just for a few weeks - in an art installation at the Columbia Art Center. Rebecca Bafford's "The Butterfly Bones Series" makes an immediate impression by placing indoors something that we ordinarily expect to encounter outdoors.

In the final weekend of the Prince-Mont Swim League season, Russett and West Arundel placed second in their divisional meets July 23, while Laurel City battled tough to earn a third-place finish in Division F. Silver Spring (Division A) and Montpelier (Division C) each placed fifth in their divisions, while West Laurel placed sixth in Division B. Swimmers who placed first in their divisional competition received an automatic bid to compete in the league's all-star meet July 30 atWhitehall Pool and Tennis, in Bowie.

Don't look now, but Maryland's state insect is fluttering away. The Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly, named for the state's founding Calvert family, has dwindled to just a handful of places, mostly in Western Maryland. Experts worry that the butterfly, once fairly common, may disappear entirely from the state. Pockets of dedicated butterfly lovers, though, are trying to slow or even reverse the decline by breeding the species in captivity. One such nursery is in a tent in back of an old maintenance shed at Black Hill Regional Park in Montgomery County.

Atholton The Atholton Swim Club Barracudas lost their first dual meet of the 2011 season to the Summer Hill Stingrays, 245-234. Barracuda swimmers recorded 88 best times. Ally VanNetta (11-12) and Timmy VanNetta (9-10) each won all four of their individual events. Taylor Myers (11-12) and Ryan Murphy (7-8) each won all three of their individual events and swam for winning relay teams. Winning two individual events and swimming for a winning relay team were Will Essl (13-14)

Basketball Tucker's 7 steals help U.S. to U-16 women's gold medal New Town guard Jannah Tucker broke a U.S. record with seven steals as the Americans won the FIBA Americas U-16 women's gold medal late Saturday night with a 73-40 rout of Brazil in Merida, Mexico. "It is surreal," Tucker, a rising junior, said of winning gold. "It's a great accomplishment, and I'm just proud to represent the USA. " Tucker finished with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists.