This week’s notebook features swimmers/divers from Neshaminy, CB West and Springfield.
National Conference
Kneiss on the rise for Redskins - This year’s PIAA Class AAA swimming championships were the first for Neshaminy junior David Kneiss.
“It was really exciting,” he said. “Just the fact that I got here was such an amazing opportunity and being able to swim with all of these really fast people was incredible.”
Keniss swam in two events, finishing 19th in the 500 freestyle in a school record time of 21.65 and 21st in the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.72, shy of his own school record of 47.60.
“I was hoping for a little faster times but it was really just a great experience to be at states,” he said. “It was all worth it. I didn’t get that much faster at states, but what I did all season long set me up in a good position to move on and get better.
“Seeing the competition at the state level is very helpful. It’s given me drive and motivation. The whole atmosphere of states is different. It’s nerve-wracking but at the same time it makes you excited to swim.”
Kneiss is a newcomer to the sport, having only started swimming in November of his freshman year. Last year he didn’t even make it to the District One Class AAA meet in an individual event.
“I think my lack of experience gives me a lot of potential to grow,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to next year and seeing what I can accomplish.
“When I look back on this whole year it makes me happy to think about how far I’ve come from where I started and makes me look forward to my future as a swimmer.”
He would like to swim in college and is hoping to major in chemical engineering.
“I just set up my college profile and sent out some emails and I already got some responses,” he said. “I’m excited to get that process started.”
Continental Conference
Stim finishes strong at states - What a leap forward for Sarah Stim.
The Central Bucks West sophomore made it to the finals of the PIAA Class AAA girls diving competition, held Friday at Bucknell’s Kinney Natatorium.
She posted a score of 398.35 points to finish 11th, a huge move up from her 30th place finish a year ago.
“I’m so excited,” Stim said. “I improved so much and worked so hard and I’m so glad all of that was reflected in my performance at states, when it really counted.
“I put so much work into it. I learned so many things over the past year, like how to control my nerves. I’m just glad I put it all out there.”
Like many divers, she is a former gymnast. Unlike others, however, gymnastics was not a part of her decision to dive.
“My father dove as a walk-on at Drexel and one day he was messing around on the boards at our summer swim club,” she said. “I thought it was cool. At the time, I was doing swim lessons and I told my parents I wanted to take diving lessons. I was about eight at the time.
“I fell in love with the sport right away. I had done gymnastics for a while but didn’t factor into it at all. This was just what I wanted to be doing.”
She is very optimistic for the next two years. “My goal for next year is top 10,” she said. “A year is so much time to improve.”
She would like to dive in college.
“I’d like that very much,” she said. “I’m looking at colleges for academics first but I also want a diving program that challenges me. I want to be able to continue to grow and move up to a higher level.”
She hasn’t chosen a major yet but is interested in science.
“I want to go into the medical field so I’m thinking biology or chemistry,” she said. “I have time to figure that out.”
In addition to diving, she is a member of the Key Club at CB West.
American Conference
Giampietro finishes career on high note - Danny Giampietro finished off his high school swimming career just the way he wanted to.
With a pair of state medals in individual events.
The Springfield senior finished fifth in the 500-yard freestyle with his time of 4:44.36 and eighth in the 200 freestyle (1:45.91) at the PIAA Class AA championships at Bucknell University.
He also led off the 12th place 400 freestyle relay.
“I had that fire under me to get back to states,” Giampietro said. “I’m not going to swim in college, so this is it for me and I wanted to make it count.
“There was a real sense of urgency for me. I wanted to come back to states for the fourth time, and like the old saying goes, make the last one a fast one.
“I’m really happy with what I was able to accomplish.”
He is considering East Carolina, Auburn or West Virginia and plans to major in business.
Giampietro used to play football but gave it up to focus on swimming.
“I might run track this spring just to keep in shape and to be doing something,” he said.
In addition to the swim team, Giampietro played water polo for the Spartans and is the student council vice president. He also belongs to No Place For Hate, an anti-bullying group, and Interact.
“Swimming takes up a lot of time,” he said. “It goes from early November to March so that’s a big chunk of the school year and it’s hard to do much else.
“But it’s been a fun four years. I loved being on this team and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
- Log in to post comments
