Penn Hills graduate Kimani Gregory happily took on a new event as a freshman on the nationally ranked North Carolina State men’s swimming team.

Gregory competed in the 100-yard breaststroke, as well as the 50 and 100 freestyles, in the ACC championship meet Feb. 26-29 in Greensboro, N.C. He ranks fourth on the team in 54.88 seconds.

“It wasn’t a new stroke in the sense of swimming it,” said Gregory, a three-time WPIAL Class AAA champion in the boys 100 butterfly and two-time WPIAL champion in the 100 freestyle. “The coaches knew coming in I could swim it.

“Training (for) it was the new part. I never broke my stroke down that much.”

North Carolina State coach Braden Holloway said Gregory helped the Wolfpack tremendously throughout the season in the breaststroke events, especially in relays.

“We needed some help, and Kimani jumped right in wherever needed with a smile,” Holloway said. “We think (breaststroke) is an event he can continue to thrive in and be a big player (in).

“Kimani will not be moving on to (the NCAA championship) this year, but we know he will make it there in the future.”

Holloway said Gregory, who plans to study criminology, not only progressed in the pool, but in the classroom.

“The freshman year is full of adversity,” Holloway said. “Everything is new and an adjustment. Kimani did a great job navigating through this and helped our team win the ACC championship for the sixth consecutive year.”

Gregory said it was amazing competing for the Wolfpack, who ranked fifth in Division I in the final College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America Top 25 Dual Meet Poll of the season.

“I’m on a team with guys who know what it means to win,” he said.

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