Swimmer holds 10 school records

Connetquot High School senior Tristan Weingarten, after a stellar season on the swim team, holds 10 out of 12 school records in his sport.

The 100-meter breaststroke record had stood the longest, being set in 1983.

“I’ve been coaching Tristan since he was 7 years old and he has just been such a tremendous, dedicated athlete throughout,” said varsity swim coach Alex Scichilone.

“Around age 10, Tristan really began to acknowledge his talent. He qualified for a junior Olympic event and began intensive training,” said Scichilone.

Currently, Tristan and his teammates practice in the pool six days a week and spend two to three days doing dry land training in the weight room, along with cross training like running.

Along with his own training, Tristan has also been known to help underclassman with technique and out-of-the-box approaches on stroke adjustments and turn strategies.

“We train together and we tell them they win and lose together,” said Scichilone, who commended Tristan on his leadership.

As a coach for Connetquot for nearly 30 years and a swimmer himself for the high school, Scichilone said that the Connetquot program has been “wonderful” for cultivating talented and dedicated swimmers like Tristan.

“He’s always in the pool early and stays after to ask good questions,” said Scichilone.

Currently uncommitted, Tristan has received multiple scholarship offers for colleges and plans to continue his swim career at the university level.

Tristan said his “discipline” and “dedication” have created the “foundation that creates a fire and desire to compete with the best.”

“I always strive to beat my yesterday, creating inspiration for others to be their best, which in turn actually inspires me to try harder and make today count,” said Tristan.