Gateway swimmers prepare for WPIAL championship meet

By: Michael Love
Sunday, February 16, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Gateway swimming and diving coach Glenn Raymer took a step back last Wednesday at the start of his team’s afternoon practice and marveled at how fast the season has gone from the start of preseason workouts in late November.

Now that all the regular season meets and invitationals have concluded, the focus of the Gators boys and girls WPIAL qualifiers have turned to the championship finals Feb. 27-28 at Pitt’s Trees Pool.

A sizeable Gateway contingent hopes to make a splash on the WPIAL’s grandest stage and find the right mix that will see them on the PIAA championships at Bucknell.

“We’re such a competitive district, so it is hard to get to the state meet from our district,” coach Raymer said.

“Just getting on the podium at WPIALs is a challenge. But it is something our kids are embracing right now. They are in the water pushing through their workouts so they can go fast at WPIALs. Some are going to be resting before WPIALs while others will do more resting after WPIALs to go fast at states.”

Only the WPIAL champion earns an automatic berth to the state meet, while the others who reach the podium will be vying for at-large berths.

Coach Raymer said several team members are on the mend from having battled the flu in recent weeks.

“There’s obviously never a good time for that, but especially at this point in the season when everyone is trying to be in the best shape and at their best before WPIALs,” he said.

Senior Hunter Raymer (200-yard individual medley, 500 freestyle) and junior Gunner Raymer (200 free, 100 breaststroke), seasoned WPIAL-championship performers, know what it is all about this time of year.

Hunter Raymer has said one of his main goals heading into WPIALs is getting back to the top of the medals podium. He won the Class 3A 500 free as a freshman in 2022.

Both brothers again earned qualifying marks in every individual event.

“We’re just focused on training hard before we start resting,” Gunner Raymer said.

“I am pretty excited to have the opportunity to do well at WPIALs.”

Sophomore Aliya Rassiane hopes to return to states in the 50 free and 100 fly. She was fifth in the 50 and 10th in the 100 fly on the most recent performance list released by the WPIAL.

Junior Gianna Laurenti, who qualified in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 backstroke and 100 breast, had not finalized her two WPIAL individual swims.

She was 21st in the 100 breast on the most recent performance list.

“There’s a little bit of an adjustment for the girls with moving up to triple-A this year,” coach Raymer said.

“There are fast kids in double-A, but there are more faster kids in triple-A.”

Qualifying for individual swimmers and relays was to conclude Saturday with last chance meets at Chartiers Valley and North Allegheny.

A couple of Gateway swimmers also were close to qualifying marks heading into the final dual meet Thursday against Shaler. It also was the section finale for the Gators boys team in its attempt to even the section record at 3-3. The girls entered the meet 3-2 in the section.

“This is a busy and exciting time for all the swimmers,” coach Raymer said.

Coach Raymer said three swimmers were on the verge of reaching qualifying cuts prior to the Shaler meet.

Senior Kaden Gibson was close in the 50 free, while fellow senior Ben Echegaray was hoping for qualifying cuts in the 50 free and 100 butterfly.

Freshman Elle Kaminski hoped to make a cut in the 500 free. She was less than a second off the qualifying mark at last week’s meet against Franklin Regional.

“Just one little thing makes a difference in an event like the 500,” coach Raymer said.

“She’s been happy with the way she’s been swimming. She’s had a pretty solid first season and has grown through all of her experiences in meets. She’s going to swim on all three relays down at WPIALs. A lot of her times, including the 200 free, have come down, so she has improved across the board.”

Coach Raymer said he is also pleased with the progress of freshman Dallas Richardson who earned his first WPIAL individual cut with a qualifying mark in the 50 free at the Gators’ season opener against Norwin in early December.

“He was trying for some other (individual) cuts, but that hasn’t happened, so he will swim on all three relays,” coach Raymer said.

Coach Raymer said that the 200 free relays and 400 free relays with Richardson, Owen Echegaray and Hunter and Gunner Raymer are favored to fare the best at WPIALs and get to states.

The Gateway boys currently are seeded seventh in the 200 free relay and sixth in the 400 free relay.

“We swam both of them in December at Spire against some really tough competition and had some good results,” coach Raymer said. “I was really happy with what I saw there.”

Coach Raymer said last week’s meet with Franklin Regional was pretty emotional as he and others celebrated what he called a group of highly dedicated and motivated group of seniors in Gibson, Hunter Raymer, Brandon Kurtz, Ben and Owen Echegaray, Moataz Khazaal, Addi Helman, Paige Kessler, Samantha Koruzo, Bailey Steele and Jolina Estremera.

Steele is hoping for big things at the WPIAL Class 3A diving championships Feb. 22 at North Allegheny.

She has some fuel behind her preparation as she now owns the school record for both a six-dive (242.10) and 11-dive meet (416.30). She set both of the top program marks Feb. 8 at the Mark Hess Invitational at IUP.

“She’s going to IUP next year, so to do it at the same place where she will compete the next four years was pretty special for her,” coach Raymer said.

“If she dives well at WPIALs, there’s no reason why she can’t better her (11-dive) record.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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