Galilei ready for second trip to WPIAL finals
Lena Galilei is a swimmer whose high school has no program and whose program has no pool, but that hasn’t deterred the Geibel Catholic sophomore from qualifying for her second WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships.
Since Geibel does not have an official team, Galilei, the daughter of David and Christy Galilei of Monongahela, must find meets who’ll have her to allow her opportunities to get qualifying times for the district final.
Galilei swims with Serra Catholic, who co-ops with South Allegheny, who, by the way, does not have a pool, so she joins the Eagles on the road, unlike schoolmate Emily Zimcosky who stays closer to home at the occasional Laurel Highlands home meet.
“I travel to any meet assigned. I’ve been to Ringgold, Carlynton and McKeesport,” explained Galilei. “Anywhere I can get a lane.”
Galilei swims the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle, and does so with gimpy shoulders.
“I have shoulder problems, so it’s easier for me to do the sprint events,” explained Galilei.
Galilei qualified for the 100 butterfly last year as a freshman, finishing 18th overall in a time of 1:04.11, over two seconds faster than her seed time.
She made the most of one last opportunity to post a time Friday afternoon at the South Park Invitational, placing third and lowering her seed time in the 100 butterfly to a personal-best 1:03.5. Galilei also qualified in the 100 freestyle with a time of 58.82 seconds, but since the Lady Gators don’t field a team they can only send one swimmer per event and the nod goes to Zimcosky, the 3-time defending champion in the event.
Galilei said she is more relaxed in her second season of swimming at the high school level.
“I know everyone. I’m not as intimidated as I was,” said Galilei. “My YMCA coach said I do better under pressure. He’s right and I don’t know why.”
She said the “time stuck in my head in the 100 butterfly is a 1:02.”
The WPIAL Swimming Championships will be held Thursday and Friday, March 3-4, at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool.