Trib HSSN boys swimmer of the week: Montour’s Alex May

By: Michael Love
Friday, January 24, 2020 | 6:36 PM

Alex May was on a mission Monday as he set out to break the Montour school record in the boys 100-yard breaststroke.

The versatile Spartans junior had the established mark of 1 minute, 2.99 seconds in his sights.

When he touched the wall against Central Valley and Beaver Falls, he saw 1:02.60 on the board.

The record was his.

“Alex is nothing short of a determined kid,” first-year Montour coach Emily McCleary said. “If he sets his mind to something, he does it. He looked at me the other day and told me he was going to break the 100 breast record, and he went out and did it.

“He’s just determined to be the best he can be and determined to be the best, period. He definitely works hard to show it.”

May adds the 100 breast to school records he owns in the 200 individual medley, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 200 medley relay.

He finds himself near the top in several events on the WPIAL’s qualifying performance lists. He has qualifying marks in every individual event, and, he said, he will take a little bit more time to determine which two he will swim at WPIALs.

“I have a lot to look at,” he said. “There is so much good competition in each event. I just want to see where I fit the best to finish as high as I can at WPIALs.”

May placed third in both the 200 IM (1:59.68) and 100 back (54.35) at last year’s WPIAL Class AA championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. He went on to swim in the state consolation finals in both events at Bucknell University, bringing home 10th in the 200 IM and 12th in the 100 back.

But May, who trains throughout the week with both his Montour teammates and at West Allegheny Aqua Club practices, also is considering events for WPIALs such as the 200 free, 100 butterfly and 100 free.

“I see him continuing to drop time in most of his events,” McCleary said. “That’s awesome to see, especially at this point in the season when everyone’s yardage is up. I am really looking forward to seeing how he will perform at WPIALs and states this year.”

May had that winning feeling at the West Allegheny Christmas invitational as he placed first in the 200 free with a pool-record time of 1:46.86 and in the 100 back with a time of 54.35.

The 54.35 was more than five seconds clear of the rest of the field.

May also helped the Montour boys 200 free relay take home a title, while the 200 medley relay finished as runner-up.

“I did well there against some really good swimmers,” May said. “I saw some things to work on with technique so I can progress further.”

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.

Tags: Montour