Gateway swimmers to be tested in early season meets

By: Michael Love
Sunday, November 24, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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A dozen swimmers and divers represented Gateway at last year’s WPIAL championships.

Coach Glenn Raymer hopes that many, or more, will punch their tickets to the district’s grandest stages at the end of February and the beginning of March.

With the work put in during offseason training sessions and club meets, Raymer said the goals and expectations of the teams are ready to be met.

“They are all looking really good so far,” Raymer said. “A lot of kids put in a lot of time in preseason training. We had some swimming for their club teams. We have some new faces who we are pretty excited about. Everything is coming together nicely.”

The Gateway teams begin their seasons Dec. 3 at home against Norwin. The Gators visit Penn-Trafford on Dec. 9 and will host Indiana and Hampton on Dec. 16 and Dec. 19, respectively, to close out the opening month.

“They are all going to be tough meets and good tests for us,” Raymer said.

“It’s also a planning thing to see as we go and what I might do with adjusting training. The goal is to always be training for the end of the season to see if we can get as many to WPIALs as possible and give them the ability to be as successful once they get there. That is our No. 1 goal. These meets are going to really show where we are and what we need to do from there on out.”

The Gateway boys remain in Class 3A, while the girls make the move up from Class 2A.

The WPIAL again has established one qualifying time standard for each individual and relay event in boys and girls Class 3A. Raymer said he hopes to see as many WPIAL cuts as possible against Norwin.

Each week, at WPIAL.org, the swimming and diving committee will release the top times and point totals in each event based on coaches’ submissions.

After what Raymer hopes is a productive week of holiday workouts between Christmas Day and News Year’s Day, Gateway will jump into Section 3-3A competition Jan. 3 against Woodland Hills. Raymer said he’s looking forward to seeing how the swimmers and divers will fare in additional section meets against Baldwin, Central Catholic/Oakland Catholic, Fox Chapel, Penn Hills, Plum and Shaler.

Senior Hunter Raymer earned a pair of medals at the PIAA Class 3A championships in March.

The distance specialist, who won the WPIAL Class 3A 500-yard freestyle as a freshman in 2022, took eighth in the 200-yard individual medley at states and came back a day later to place fifth in the 500 free.

The time of 4 minutes, 34.34 seconds in the 500 prelims at Bucknell lowered his own school record. The 1:53.42 in the 200 IM, also in a prelim swim at states, was just a half second off the school record of 1:52.91 set by 2011 graduate Luke Nosbisch.

“We know Hunter is going to go faster later on,” coach Raymer said.

“He’s ahead of where he was with his times for his main high school events at this point last year. He is pretty excited to see what he can do in his final high school season.”

Hunter and his brother, junior Gunner Raymer, fared well in a club meet in Cincinnati the weekend of Nov. 16. Both, coach Raymer said, were pretty happy with their times for where they are in the season.

Gunner Raymer earned a WPIAL medal (sixth) in the 200 free and just missed a medal in the 100 free (10th). He also was a part of the WPIAL 200 free relay (10th) and 400 free relay (ninth).

“Gunner had a couple of best times at Cincinnati,” coach Raymer said. “He has some big goals for this year.”

The boys team features a big senior class, and part of that group is WPIAL returnees in Owen Echegaray (200 medley relay, 100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke and 400 free relay), Ben Echegaray (200 medley relay) and Kaden Gibson (200 medley relay).

Sophomore Aliya Rassiane had a breakout season as a freshman which included WPIAL medals in the 50 free (fifth), the 100 fly (fifth) and the 400 free relay (fourth).

“She’s looking pretty good,” coach Raymer said. “She swam Marlins club in September and October. She’s pretty excited about how things look for her. Even with the girls jumping up from double-A to triple-A, I think she has a good chance to be in that top heat at WPIALs in both of her best events. We’re going to look at the competition and see what will give her the best opportunity to do well at WPIALs and get back to states.”

Junior Gianna Laurenti also was a part of the medal-winning 400 free relay at WPIALs while also swimming the 50 free, the 100 breast and the 200 free relay.

“She’s zoned in and really focused on her training this fall,” coach Raymer said. “She spent a lot of time working technique to be ready to go.”

Freshman Elle Kaminski, coach Raymer said, is a distance specialist who has the ability to make an impact this season.

“She’s been rapidly improving the past year and a half, and she has a good chance to break through to WPIALs,” he said.

Senior Bailey Steele, an IUP recruit, brings back the experience of diving at WPIALs. She placed 13th in the Class 2A meet last year. Coach Raymer said she hopes to make the necessary jump to challenge for a spot at states.

With her Derry Flip and Twist club team, Steele traveled to an AAU meet in Florida in June and placed third on the 1-meter board while earning first on the 3-meter board.

“We’re excited to see what she can do her senior year and then when she goes off to college,” coach Raymer said.

“She spent so much time training with her club team. She’s ready.”

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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