Young Hampton swim squad looks to take next step

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, November 21, 2018 | 10:57 PM

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The Hampton boys swimming team might be young, but there’s optimism a handful of underclassmen can get the job done.

Chief among them is junior Drew Scheib, who will look to crack through the ranks of the WPIAL’s best. He finished 15th at the district championship earlier this year in the 100 freestyle and butterfly.

“Drew has kept progressing wonderfully,” third-year coach Morgan Zweygardt said. “There’s nothing that he doesn’t do in or out of the pool to ensure he’s in perfect condition to race and train.”

Zweygardt has noticed Scheib growing outside of competition, as well. His brother, Brett, was a perennial WPIAL qualifier for the Talbots before graduating in June.

“He’s really stepping into a leadership role with the freshmen coming in. It’s really awesome to see him grow up in front of my eyes,” Zweygardt said.

The other prominent junior Zweygardt has seen improve is Matthew Belch, a freestyle specialist who qualified in the 200 and 500 yards as a sophomore. This year, he’s looking to expand.

“He’s made some big improvements to his fly,” Zweygardt said. “So we could see him participating in that. We’re still talking about what we want to focus on.”

Sophomores Ethan Apaliski and Richie Donato also will look to build on successful rookie campaigns. Both qualified for WPIALs in the 100 breaststroke.

“I’m looking for some really good stuff from those guys this year,” said Zweygardt. “They got a taste of it as freshmen, and now they’re excited to come back and really compete for more.”

They will combine to make a formidable relay team, and freshman Will Retsch also will work to be involved.

The top relay team last year, which was the 400 freestyle, finished 11th at WPIALs. It featured the Scheib brothers, Belch and Jack Lindquist, who graduated.

Devon Moore is a freelance writer.

Tags: Hampton