Peak moments?
Tukker Uniatowski and Spencer Tretter are not strangers to swimming in the WPIAL championship meet, but they are hoping to have saved the best for last.
The seniors at Butler and Seneca Valley, respectively, Uniatowski (100-yard breaststroke) and Tretter (200 and 500 freestyles) will both be swimming in the top heat in the Class AAA event, scheduled Thursday and Friday at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool.
If Uniatowski reaches one of his goals, the others should follow.
At last year’s district meet, he set a school record in the breaststroke with a time of 59.61 seconds to place seventh and earn a trip to the state meet for the first time. He is ranked seventh in the event this year.
“I want to go between 57.9 and 58.5,” Uniatowski said. “I figure if I do that, I would have a really good shot of getting back to states, maybe even automatically (top three).”
Uniatowski qualified for the WPIAL meet his freshman and sophomore years, but his junior campaign was his breakout season.
“Academically and athletically, he took a huge step last year,” said Butler coach Dave Bocci. “He became a team leader with a great work ethic, day in and day out. I could talk for hours about what he has meant to the program. He’s a person of very high character.”
“Coach (Bocci) saw potential in me,” said Uniatowski. “I thought if I pushed myself, I could really improve.”
Uniatowski, who does plan to swim in college, doesn’t take swimming in the WPIAL meet for granted.
“It’s a test,” he said. “The goal is to make states, so everything is on the line. When I’m behind the block before my events, I just think about all the hard work I put in. I trust in my training.”
Uniatowski will also be swimming in the 200 individual medley, where he is seeded 16th.
“We are optimistic with him in that event, too,” said Bocci. “If he has a great swim, he could move up pretty far.”
Tretter has also competed at WPIALs the last three years, earning a total of five individual medals.
“Getting on the medal stand is something that stands out for me,” he said. “You look at the top competition and you want to be close to them. You also want to be in the fastest heat and race against the best.”
Tretter, who signed last fall to swim at Cleveland State, is seeded sixth in the 200 freestyle and eighth in the 500.
“I’m close to the school record in both events, just two-tenths of a second away in the 500,” he said. “I’m looking to take both of those down.”
“Spencer has done a great job this year,” said Raider coach Brian Blackwell. “He’s always been one of our strongest swimmers, but being that this is his senior season, I think placing in the top three in both events is certainly a possibility.”
