Gateway freshman Raymer hunting gold at WPIAL championship meet

By: Michael Love
Sunday, January 30, 2022 | 11:01 AM

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There were high expectations for Hunter Raymer as he entered his freshman swim season at Gateway a couple of months ago.

A distance specialist who has shown his versatility in events up and down the lineup, Raymer is meeting those expectations, and he also is hoping to exceed them with the WPIAL championships about a month away.

“There was a little bit of pressure coming into the season. I didn’t want to let anyone down,” said Raymer, who owned the No. 1 spot in the boys 500-yard freestyle on the WPIAL swimming performance list for Class 3A released Jan. 24.

“I had been anxious to swim for the high school for a long time. I had high expectations for myself because I want to be as successful as a lot of the best Gateway swimmers who have come before me. They all set very high standards. With all my teammates and everyone around me, it’s been a great experience so far.”

Raymer clocked a time of 4 minutes, 43.16 seconds in the 500 at a nonsection meet with Blackhawk on Dec. 20. He began last week less than a second ahead of Seneca Valley senior Kevin Donaldson (4:43.79) and a little over a second faster than Seneca Valley junior Haihan Xu (4:44.37).

“I am really excited for that. I didn’t expect to be up there at No. 1,” Raymer said.

“There are so many strong distance swimmers. That really motivates me to keep working hard because I know the others on that list will do that.”

There will be a new WPIAL Class 3A boys champion in the 500 free as Butler’s David Bocci, last year’s WPIAL champion (4:31.81), graduated and now is swimming at Clarion.

Runner-up Zachary Zornan-Ferguson, a freshman last year at Fox Chapel, chose not to swim at the high school level this season.

Kiski Area juniors Parker Sterlitz and Levi Hansen were third and fourth, respectively, in the 500 at WPIALs last year.

Hansen was fourth on the 500 free performance list from Jan. 24 with a time of 4:45.69. Sterlitz was eighth (4:48.37).

Raymer’s high school potential was evident last March when his Junior Keystone time in the 200 individual medley (1:59.52) and Senior Keystone time in the 500 free (4:48.72) would have been automatic cuts for last year’s WPIAL Class 3A championships at Upper St. Clair.

He earned additional automatic WPIAL qualifying cuts in the 200 free with a time of 1:45.98 against Woodland Hills on Jan. 6 and in the 200 IM with a 1:59.22 last week against Fox Chapel.

Raymer also is close to the automatic qualifying standards in the 100 free and 100 backstroke.

Gateway senior Andrew Holmes, the defending WPIAL champion in the 200 free and runner-up in the 100 free, is the current school record holder in the 500 free with a 4:40.92 set in 2020.

Raymer has his eyes on that record.

“At a club meet, I went 4:38, so I know I can get it,” he said.

“Hopefully, at WPIALs, I am close to that or even faster, and it can help me challenge for the title. I give (Andrew Holmes) a lot of credit. That is a really fast time.

“The older and more experienced swimmers help push me every day. They are really motivating. They are right there making sure everyone is into the meets, swimming fast and having a good time.”

In that group of experienced swimmers is senior Summer Raymer, Hunter’s sister and a Youngstown State commit.

Summer Raymer also is a distance specialist who has shown her ability to shine in multiple strokes for the Gators.

She was fourth on the Jan. 24 performance list for the girls Class 3A 500 free (5:11.61), and she was fifth at WPIALs last year (5:07.26).

“We push each other in practice and in meets and make sure we’re both on our games,” Hunter Raymer said.

“She sets a standard every day for others to follow.”

Gateway coach Sherry Sonetti said she is pleased with where Hunter Raymer is at this point in the season and where he can go at WPIALs and beyond.

“The experience of a high school team is so much different than a club team,” Sonetti said.

“At the club level, it’s more individualized. He loves the fact that this is more team-oriented, and he can swim relays. He’s hoping to help break a relay record this year. If you give him a task, he will step up to the plate. He’s already doing so much, but he knows he can be faster and is willing to do whatever he can to be faster. He has big goals set for himself, and he’s right on track.”

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: Gateway