April 14, 2020 at 12:02 a.m.
Rhinelander's Devon Gaber to swim on at St. Ambrose
Rhinelander's Devon Gaber to swim on at St. Ambrose
The Rhinelander High School senior announced last week that he has committed to continue his swimming career at St. Ambrose University, a NAIA school in Davenport, Iowa.
"I didn't get the opportunity to swim as a little, little kid," Gaber said in a phone interview with the River News. "I started around eighth-grade year, so to get that extra four years of opportunity to swim a little more and better myself (means a lot). It feels amazing being able to have this opportunity. With the scholarship that the team gave me, it just gives me another opportunity to better myself and make myself a better and stronger swimmer."
Gaber played a key role in the staggering success of the Rhinelander High School boys' swim team over the past two seasons, which including back-to-back Great Northern Conference and WIAA sectional team championships. In addition to earning All-Great Northern Conference honors four times, qualifying for state twice and being a part of two Rhinelander High School varsity records, Gaber was on the Hodags state-championship winning 200 freestyle relay team in 2019 with Joseph Heck, Nolan Francis and Russell Benoy.
"I know he'll do great in college," Hodag swim coach Jenny Heck said. "Every year he's become a better swimmer - faster, stronger and he's turned into a great leader as well. He's an excellent student. I'm really proud of him and I know he's really excited for the next level."
Gaber said he looked at a number of college before settling on St. Ambrose near the end of the high school swim season back in February. Gaber, who plans to major in mechanical engineering, said the mix of academics and athletics is what drew him toward the Fighting Bees.
"It was mostly the engineering program there is really, really good," he said. "It's newer and I really enjoy it, but also the swim team, it's one of the best in the NAIA right now. It's extremely good. That definitely attracted me to going there."
Neither college athletics nor the NAIA route are new to the Gaber family. Devon's older brother, Alex, golfed collegiately for Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa.
The older Gaber was in the midst of his senior season when the COVID-19 outbreak puts athletics on pause.
Gaber said his older brother actually did a little reconnaissance on St. Ambrose while on the links.
"He actually golfed with some of the guys from St. Ambrose University," Devon said. "He told me about what they said to him about the university and how good it was. That definitely helped me lean more toward the NAIA side of swimming."
Gaber will be joining a relatively new Fighting Bees program that has seen success at the NAIA level.
The program's first year was 2017-18, but it has climbed the ranks under coach Rob Miecznikowski, finishing seventh in the NAIA Swimming & Diving National Championships in 2019 and ninth this past winter.
Gaber, who specialized in sprint freestyle events in high school, said he is looking forward to continuing to swim in that role at St. Ambrose.
"I feel, my freshman year, I should, hopefully, be one of the main in and out kind of guys or be one of the main guys on one of the relays and go to nationals. I'm definitely looking to fit in quite well," he said.
Added coach Heck: "Devon loves to sprint. Sprint freestyle is his favorite, but I think he has some opportunity to swim some other strokes and other events in college, and train for those as well. I think he could be a strong butterflyer, mid-distance freestyler or even an IM-er. I think, if he's willing to go that route and the coach needs him, I think that could be an awesome next step for him."
Gaber thanked the Rhinelander swim community for its support throughout his high school career.
"I'd like to thank my parents, mostly in general, my dad (Brian) and my mom (Sheri) really helped me through this entire recruiting process." he said. "Then the community, too. This past year, the community was amazing and supporting me through swimming and giving me that extra boost to really, really do good this year and improve myself."
Comments:
You must login to comment.