Big Ten Senior Spotlight: Haley Sinatro of Penn State University

In recent years, the Penn State Nittany Lions are one team that have seemingly figured out the secret to swimming fast at the end of the year, and it is almost a foregone conclusion year in and year out that the team from State College will always have their best swims of the year at Big Tens and NCAAs. One swimmer who has demonstrated this tendency to double down at the end of the year during each of her first three years of her NCAA career is Haley Sinatro, and PSU will look to her to put up some big points on the board when Conference begins next Tuesday.

A West Hartford and SoNoCo Swim Club product, Sinatro came to the Nittany Lions as a very promising and versatile swimmer both in short course and long course swimming. A Junior National qualifier in multiple events (50 Free, 100 Breast, 200 IM), she also boasted an impressive resume in High School swimming with individual state championship titles in the 100 breast and the 50 free for the Class L division. Needless to say, Sinatro possessed a great deal of talent before ever stepping on deck in State College, and she translated this to immediate success at her first appearance at the Big Ten Championships.

Competing individually in the 200 IM, 100 Breast, and 200 Breast, Sinatro recorded finishes of 18th (2:00.90), 27th (1:03.73), and 22nd (2:17.53) respectively. Her effort in the 200 IM and 200 Breast represented lifetime bests, and she also had a 1:03.08 personal best in the 100 Breast from the 2012 Georgia Invitational to her name. By season’s end, Sinatro would find herself in the top 5 of her team’s yearly best times in each of her events.

Returning for her sophomore campaign with the Nittany Lions, Sinatro appeared in an expanded role for her team at the Big Ten Championships, and she really made the extra swims count. She would take 10th in the 200 IM (1:58.99), 11th in the 100 breast (1:01.73), and 17th in the 200 breast (2:15.22), all being lifetime bests in the process. As if those huge individual swims were not enough by themselves, Sinatro also powered Penn State to a school record time in the 200 medley relay (1:37.61, 5th) with her 27.49 breast split in finals.

Thanks to the team’s superb performances across all of the relays at the Conference Championships, Haley would receive the opportunity to compete at the 2014 NCAA Championships on relay duties. With her leg on the 200 medley relay, she was able to help PSU take 16th overall with a 1:38.17 (1:37.91 in prelims), thus earning herself second team All-America honors in the process. Additionally, she would also snare second team All-America honors in the 400 free relay thanks to her anchor split on Penn State’s 400 free relay (3:16.41, 16th). Finally, Sinatro also competed in the 200 free relay, helping her team grab 22nd overall (1:29.83).

Coming off a tremendous sophomore year, Sinatro continued to be a staple part of Penn State’s championship season push in 2015 as well. At the Big Ten Championships, Sinatro would take 16th in the 200 IM (2:01.19, 1:59.43 in prelims), 15th in the 100 breast (1:01.69), and 30th in the 200 breast (2:17.73). On relay duties, she would provide the breaststroke split on the Nittany Lions’ 5th-place-finishing 200 medley relay (1:38.11), and her 27.30 split would be the third fastest breast split amongst all teams that competed in the event. Additionally from her mid-season meet at the Georgia Fall Invitational, Sinatro recorded lifetime bests in the 100 breast (1:01.18) and 200 breast (2:15.10).

With only a few days left until the action kicks off in Ann Arbor, Haley Sinatro should be brimming with confidence when it comes to her potential at her final Conference Championships. She was very good at the Georgia Fall Invitational at the end of last year with times of 1:02.18 in the 100 breast, 2:15.95 in the 200 breast, 53.95 in the 100 fly, 1:59.83 in the 200 IM, and 50.02 in the 100 free. It is worthwhile to mention that her swims in the 100 free and the 100 fly were both career bests, and though it is an off event, she actually has the fastest 100 fly on the team in the 2015-16 season. Look for Sinatro to be a huge factor in Penn State’s placings both individually and in relays during her final stint at Big Tens.

Best Times (SCY/LCM):
50 Free: 23.39/26.60
100 Free: 50.02/57.55
200 Free: 1:50.59/2:07.93
100 Breast: 1:01.18/1:12.71
200 Breast: 2:15.10/2:42.32
100 Fly: 53.95/1:09.70
200 IM: 1:58.99/2:20.90

School Major/Degree:  Biology
Favorite Event:  200 IM
Favorite Hobby:  Baking
Favorite Movie:  Inglorious Basterds
Person You’d Like to Meet: Real Life -Mark Cuban, Character – Cosmo Kramer
Favorite Food/ Pre-Race Meal: Chocolate/ Chicken Parm

At what age did you become involved with swimming? How did you get into it?

My mom swam in college at UConn so it was always a priority for my brothers and I to be strong swimmers. We all joined a summer league team, which I started when I was 5. While my brothers didn’t stick with it, I started a rec winter team, and in middle school began swimming club year round.

What is your favorite collegiate swimming memory and why? 

My favorite memory is being a part of my first Big Ten relay (200 medley) my sophomore year. The atmosphere of that first night is electric, and it’s such an awesome experience to set the tone in the first event of the meet.

You had a very good mid-season meet last month at the UGA Fall Invitational, with times in your main events approaching your lifetime bests, while you also recorded a few lifetime bests in your off events. Do you feel like that meet gave you some momentum to work with heading into your final Championship season?

After that long period of Fall training, heading into that meet with a little rest and seeing some decent times is always motivation to continue to work hard. Having only one last Championship season left makes it even easier to get excited; I have one last Big Tens to swim fast, it’s simple.

During your Sophomore year, you had the opportunity to race at the NCAA Championships as a member of Penn State’s 200 Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay. Additionally, that 200 Medley relay took 16th overall and earned you All American honors in the process. Can you tell us what that first NCAA experience was like and has it motivated you to make a final trip back to the “Big Show” this year?

I learned a lot in my first NCAA experience. The competition is obviously tougher, so you have to be prepared to swim even faster there than at conferences. Ending my career with another trip to NCAAs is absolutely a goal of mine, and has kept me motivated throughout the season.

What/who do you think has been the single most important catalyst to your swimming career?

I’ve had the best of both worlds in terms of support from my parents. My mom always has good advice because of her background as a swimmer. My dad doesn’t have any experience with swimming but has always been incredibly entertaining pretending like he understands the sport. While the question asks for the single most important catalyst, I have to mention my amazing college teammates and a great set of club and college coaches for shaping my experience as well.

Do you have any plans/commitments following the completion of your collegiate career?

After I graduate in May I plan on taking a gap year and working before attending medical school.

What should we look forward to from Penn State at this year’s Big Ten Championships?

Last year we felt that we accomplished far less than we were capable of, and that has been the fuel to our fire this season. People should look forward to a Penn State team that’s ready to race.