Prep swimming: Tam’s Gattnar taking aim at a state title
If the COVID pandemic had never happened, Tam High senior Marre Gattnar might be pedaling toward a different set of goals this month.
As a freshman, Marin County’s fastest swimmer was into mountain biking as much as fun times in the pool. With high school sports shuttered for two seasons due to the pandemic, Gattnar turned to swimming full-time, and the rest is history.
Last Saturday at the North Coast Section championships in Concord, Gattnar broke the 50-yard freestyle meet record with a time of 20.00 seconds. The previous record of 20.12 was set in 2018 by San Ramon Valley’s Spencer Daily.
“I was a little bummed to miss the record last year,” said Gattnar. “I knew I would crack the mark if I had a good swim.”
In one of the fastest high school meets in the country, Gattnar’s time was more than a half second better than his nearest competitor and earned him All-American honors. He is the only Marin County swimmer (including relays) to currently hold an NCS swim record.
“The NCS meet really is incredible,” said Max Byers, who coaches Gattnar as part of North Bay Aquatics. “It’s just awesome. Of course, it was no surprise.”
In arguably his best event, Gattnar also won the NCS 100 backstroke in 47.91 for another All-American time.
This weekend at the State Meet at the Clovis Olympic Swim Complex, Gattnar has qualified for the finals in both the 100 back and 50 free. Last year at State, he was second in the 100 back and fifth in the 50 free.
On Friday in the 100 back prelims, Gattnar turned in 48.25 for the fourth-best time of the day. His personal best is 47.58, which would put him in contention for first since Humberto Najera of Santa Margarita swam a 47.68 for the top seed.
Gattnar also had the third-best qualifying time in the 50 free with a 20.14, just off his NCS record. He swam a 19.96 in December at Junior Nationals and believes he’s ready to break 20 seconds again this weekend.
“I love the 50 free but my main goal is to win the 100 back,” said Gattnar. “Ever since the State Meet last year, I’ve had my sights set on winning the 100 back.”
One reason coaches believe Gattnar’s best event is the 100 back is because of his underwater explosiveness on his start and turns. He stays underwater longer than most swimmers, using his natural dolphin kick to propel him to success.
The funny thing is that Gattnar learned about his underwater prowess by accident. He says he was swimming in an intrasquad meet at Tam and tried the technique just to see how he’d fare.
“You don’t teach that — how he moves in the water is so smooth,” Byers said of Gattnar’s dolphin kick. “For the last year, we’ve really emphasized being consistent underwater. It’s super exciting to see that consistency.”
Gattnar, who is headed to Harvard University next year, admittedly has some great genes. His dad, Michael, was a fencer at Harvard. His mom, Petra Kristofekova, was a national karate champ for Slovakia.
The fact that his parents are from the former Czechoslovakia could turn out to be a major influence on Gattnar’s swim future. His goal is to compete in the 2028 Olympics, preferably for the United States. But if that doesn’t pan out, he is eligible to swim for Slovakia.
Gattnar has been easing into his taper even though he shaved for the NCS meet. At State, he will wear a brand new Hy-Tek swimsuit designed to reduce drag and be more water resistant.
“I’m expecting some fireworks,” said Byers. “He’s not satisfied ever. He’s earned every bit of what he’s accomplished.”