Radnor swimmer Greg Giannella is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
The Radnor senior, a first team All-Delco and All-Main Line swimmer last winter, is undefeated in all of his races so far this season. His time in the 50 free (21.57) has him ranked third in the PIAA; while in the 100 free (47.32) he is currently ranked sixth in the state. He finished first in the 50 free at Central League Championships last winter. He finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 50 free and 100 free at the District One championships last winter.
Q: Can you walk us through a typical day, or cycle, of training?
A: We finish school at 2:27 p.m., then go straight to the pool for either yoga, dry land workouts, the gym, or practice. Practice during the school week is two hours, and three hours during breaks. Training gets harder every day, and is the most pain I’ve ever felt mentally and physically.
Q: You won the 50 free at Central League Championships last winter. What do you think was the key to your success that day?
A: I feel that I work well under pressure, and at Centrals last year there was an immense amount of pressure. It pushed me over the edge, and I was able to win the event.
Q: Your times in the 50 free and 100 free rank you among the top performers in the state in these events. What do you think has been the biggest key to your success in these two events?
A: I believe the biggest key to my success in these events comes from the change of my work ethic over the summer, and realizing that the only way I was going to drop time was if I put maximum effort into swimming.
Q: What is your most vivid memory of Districts last year?
A: My most vivid memory would be when I broke the 200 free relay record for the second time.
Q: What (in your opinion) has been your best swim so far this season, and why?
A: My best swim so far would probably have to be at the All-American Invitational, where I anchored the 400 free relay and went 46.16.
Q: What aspect of your swimming have you been working on the most recently?
A: Recently, I have been working on getting my starts and turns up to where most average swimmers should have them – they are pretty bad right now.
Q: What pool did you first swim for? What is your favorite swimming venue, and why?
A: When I was 6, I joined a summer team known as the Wayne Wahoos. Since then I have swam at many different pools, but my favorite pool I ever swam at was the Bucknell University pool, because they have an extremely nice facility, and the pool itself is superb.
Q: Who have been your biggest swimming mentors, and what was the most important thing each of them taught you?
A: My most important swim mentors have been my coach, and Radnor alum Mike Casciato, who both pushed me to work harder.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-meet preparation the day of a meet.
A: I meet with co-captain Ryan Tague at school to discuss possible lineups for the meet ahead. I make sure I eat right and get my mind ready.
Q: Could you give an example of the lineups you and Ryan discuss? Do you as co-captains provide feedback for the coach as to possible Radnor lineups?
A: Yes. An example would be before the Haverford meet this year when Ryan and I talked about possible relay scenarios. We usually talk to Coach about what we talk about, and, depending on the meet and situation, he takes out input into account.
Q: What in your opinion has been the highlight of your swimming career outside of Radnor?
A: Outside of Radnor, the highlight of my career would be when I first broke a minute in the 100 free for my club team. Breaking a minute was a big hurdle for me and it convinced me to continue swimming.
Q: You want to swim for a college program. What colleges are among your current favorites? What do you think you might want to major in at college? Is there a particular career path that interests you?
A: Some colleges that I am looking for swimming at would be Lehigh, Villanova, and American University. I am thinking about majoring in Business in college.
Q: Do you participate in any other extracurricular activities at Radnor? What sparked your interest in these activities?
A: At Radnor I am a part of the Young Republicans Club. I gained interest in this group because a lot of my friends were in the club as well.
Fun facts – Greg Giannella
Favorite book: The Long Walk.
Favorite TV show: Breaking Bad.
Favorite movie: Star Wars.
Favorite athlete: Michael Phelps.
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: PayPhone – Kholin (https://soundcloud.com/
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles.
Favorite color: Maroon.
Person I most admire: “My sister because despite not having to, she has helped me in so many ways and gone out of her way to help me.”
Birth date: June 7, 1999 in Philadelphia.
Siblings: Matt (age 16), Stephen (19), David (21), Elena (23).
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
