Akron.com

Revere girls swim coach happy with team’s progress



BATH — Revere High School girls swim team head coach Jen Geiger said the best word to describe this year’s team is “bubbly.”
“It’s literally because they are always in the water and because they are always giggling and upbeat,” she stated. “They all motivate each other. They are really unified and they are always upbeat. Even when someone loses, [their teammates] are literally coaching them for the next event and telling them it’s going to be alright.”
After finishing with a 2-6 record last year, Geiger said the team has improved its record during this regular season by winning three dual meets.
“This year, we had a very mixed skill set of student-athletes,” she stated. “We had a core group of returning long-term swimmers and several student-athletes new to swimming altogether and new to a competitive-level program. The team’s strengths were based on persistence and the desire to excel in and out of the pool.”
Overall, Geiger said she was happy with Revere’s progress this season.
“The girls are definitely in a building season and if we can retain and maintain our new swimmers, we will only keep getting better,” she said. “Revere girls swimming is on the way to continued progression and success.”
Jessica Raimondo and Nova Meng are the primary seniors on this year’s team, Geiger said.
“Both girls also serve in the capacity of senior captains,” the coach stated. “Both of these girls are scholar-athletes, which requires them to have a 3.5 GPA or higher.”
Raimondo will complete her high school swimming career as a four-year letter-winner with Revere, Geiger said.
“Jessica is an extremely versatile swimmer who is always upbeat,” the coach said. “She unifies the team and always has a good attitude. She is able to swim any freestyle event and excel from the 50 to the 500. There aren’t a lot of swimmers who excel at sprints and distance equally.”
Geiger described Meng as “a very determined athlete and scholar.”
“She has an abundant schedule of academics and clubs and still manages to be a top-level swimmer,” the coach said. “Nova has the ability to swim every stroke proficiently and can literally swim any event. She is also a four-year swimmer with Revere and will be a four-year letterman.”
On the other end of the experience spectrum, Geiger said a newcomer to the team has already established a key position in the program.
“Up and coming freshman Abby Disalvo is key to the girls team’s future,” the coach said. “She is an excellent sprinter and excels at butterfly. She will be an integral part of the team for years to come. Abby qualified as a freshman for districts in the 100 butterfly individually and is a scholar-athlete.”
In addition, Geiger said, sophomore diver Peyton Thurman has “had a phenomenal season.”
“Peyton qualified for districts and has broken school records this year and her own record three times this year,” the coach said. “She won the Perry Invitational, and in both dual meets Peyton was able to participate in with the team she placed first. Peyton is always a bright light. She is well mannered and she is always ready to compete.”
According to Geiger, this year’s postseason has already proven to be “stellar” for Revere.
“It has gone far better than projected,” she said. “Our girls 400-freestyle relay team [Meng, Raimondo, Disalvo and freshman Tarini Gowda] also qualified for districts, as did senior Nova Meng for 100 backstroke and freshman Abby Disalvo for 100 butterfly. Our next event is Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. at Cleveland State [University] for districts. So, if you don’t have any Valentine’s Day plans, come watch the Revere swim team compete at districts.”