Athlete of the Week: Gabi Levine, Swim Star

Johnson senior Gabi Levine has been swimming since she was six years old. Before Levine began swimming competitively in high school, she swam in summer leagues at Manor Park Swim Club in Westfield. In 2010, Levine was the Union County Champion in the 100-yard backstroke and was named to the All-American Scholastic Swim Team. Outside of Johnson, Levine swims on the Scotch Plains-Fanwood YMCA swim team and works as a lifeguard in her spare time. Levine has been just as successful in the classroom as she has been in the water: Even with three AP courses this semester (psychology, macroeconomics, and government and politics), she has maintained a weighted GPA of 4.04. Gabi recently chose St. Bonaventure in western New York for her college career, where she will swim and major in political science.  

Coach Bob Cahill says: "It's been a great pleasure to watch Gabi over the years. She is a young athlete with a lot of potential and a very successful career ahead of her."

Stats: 100 Yard Fly: 57.57 seconds; 100 Yard Backstroke: 59.12 seconds.

Favorite subject: AP Government and Politics with Mr. Sturino

Favorite movie: Step Brothers

Favorite food: homemade Penne Vodka

Favorite TV show:  "The Bachelor"

Favorite sports team: “I am a huge Yankees fan and always get to at least one, if not more, home games each year.”

Something no one knows about me: “I have had a pet snake named Freddy for six years. He is a Chocolate King Snake and is brown with yellow stripes. I carry him around the house on my neck.”

My biggest fan: "Definitely my mother. She has come to every meet I ever had no matter how far away it is.”

My pre-game ritual: “I try to stay quiet and relax. I will put my headphones on and try to sit down somewhere and just clear my mind.”

Song that pumps me up before a meet:  “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled

Game philosophy: “After a race I always go straight to my coach for advice on how to improve for the next one. A lot of the time, there are prelims and finals back-to-back and I look for advice on how to improve for the next day.”

Coach always tells me: “To relax. I get really nervous. Some of the competition is really tough, especially when we compete against the boys.”

What I'm doing well this season: “I am much more focused this season because I am trying to prepare for competing at the college level.”

Favorite moment this season: “Getting a meet of champions cut against JFK was great. We waited a long time for that.”

Plans for the off-season: “There is no off-season. I swim all year and will only take off the month of August before going away to college.”

My teammates in three words: Loyal, exciting, talented.

My coach in three words:  Encouraging, loud, confident.