BUTLER TWP — It’s not a guarantee that twin sisters are going to share the same passion. However, Abigail and Addison Vance do and Butler swimming is benefiting from it.

The juniors on the Golden Tornado’s girls team are helping point the squad in the right direction.

“They bring a lot of things to the team, starting with their effort every day in practice,” said Butler coach Troy Kroll. “They live that swimming lifestyle ... are the first ones in the water and the last ones out.”

In the first meet of the season Thursday against Armstrong, both girls qualified for the WPIAL Class 3A championships at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool in March. Abigail did so in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of two minutes and three seconds.

Addison swam 2:17.39 to make the cut in the 200 individual medley.

The Vance sisters began swimming at the YMCA when they were 10. They have both not only bought in to the training schedules, but have embraced them.

“I enjoy all of it,” said Addison. “I like putting in the work and seeing how it affects my results.”

There’s not a whole lot of competition between the two.

“In the distance events, our times are pretty close, so we see how we compare there,” said Abigail. “But for the most part, we are just happy for each other when either of us do well.”

Kroll is in his second season of leading the Golden Tornado.

“The beauty of it is that while they are both good in all the strokes, the best stroke is different for each. Abigail is best in the freestyle and Addison is the IMer.

“Abigail is a bit more vocal. Addison is more calculating, but still fights tooth and nail.”

Addison said she hopes more of her 11 teammates get to WPIALs this season.

“Especially the relays. It’s so much fun when the relays go to the district meet.”

“This is our life,” Abigail said. “Before school, after school, the weight room. I enjoy every part of it.

Girls

Butler 98, Armstrong 83

200 medley relay: Armstrong 1:59.97

200 freestyle: Abigail Vance (B) 2:03.0

200 individual medley: Addison Vance (B) 2:17.39

50 freestyle: Emily Eroh (A) 26.23

1-meter diving: Grace Persichini (B) 187.60

100 butterfly: Amelia Bissell (A) 1:02.49

100 freestyle: Emily Eroh (A) 57.99

500 freestyle: Abigail Vance (B) 5:34.41

200 freestyle relay: Armstrong 1:47.30

100 backstroke: Dylayn Shipe (A) 1:05.72

100 breaststroke: Amelia Bissell (A) 1:13.49

400 freestyle relay: Butler (Addison Vance, Rachel Smith, Emma Pflugh, Abigail Vance) 3:58.58

Boys

Butler 79, Armstrong 9

200 medley relay: Butler (Jackson Morgus, Ben Grossman, Simon Bianchin, Sam Miller) 1:58.96

200 freestyle: Jackson Morgus (B) 1:57.54

200 individual medley: Ben Grossman (B) 2:25.06

50 freestyle: Keaton Matteson (B) 22.79

1-meter diving: Owen Davis (B) 149.85

100 butterfly: Simon Bianchin (B) 1:10.27

100 freestyle: Keaton Matteson (B) 51.30

500 freestyle: Sam Miller (B) 6:25.19

200 freestyle relay: Butler (Noah Collins, Sam Miller, Ben Grossman, Keaton Matteson) 1:41.01

100 backstroke: Jackson Morgus (B) 1:01.74

100 breaststroke: Ben Grossman (B) 1:08.74

400 freestyle relay: Butler (Matteson, Bianchin, Morgus, Collins) 3:44.49