On Wednesday, February 7, Athens Academy took five swimmers to Georgia Tech to compete in the state meet. These swimmers trained hard all season, practicing every day and occasionally twice a day for those who trained with their club team.
They incorporated dryland training in addition to their swimming practices, where they focused on perfecting their technique and increasing their stamina. All of their hard work paid off in the end, and they had a successful state meet.
The team had three third-place finishes at state. Riley Harding finished third in the 200 IM, and Luke Phillips finished third in both of his events: the 200 IM and 500 freestyle. Ella Dillion also finished fourth in the 50 freestyle, and Riley Harding finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke. The team also had a number of other fast swims. Addie Savage swam a new personal best in the 100 backstroke when she went a 1:04.19. The girls’ 200 Medley Relay team, while they struggled in prelims, came back to win their heat in finals, finishing eleventh.
The relay team only made the state cut at the last meet before state, which was a highlight of the season for Coach Savana Thompson. She also enjoyed seeing “the smile on someone’s face when they got a new personal best time.”
Overall, the girls finished eleventh out of twenty-seven teams at state with only four swimmers. The boys finished eighteenth out of thirty-one teams with only one swimmer. Considering how few ACAD swimmers went to state, these were impressive finishes overall.
Coach Thompson says, “the state championships provide an opportunity to celebrate achievements, learn from experiences, and continue striving for excellence” which is definitely what this team did. In addition, she was proud of the swimmers for how they handled such a long day. After racing their events in the morning, they had to do it all again at night for finals, and everyone on the team made finals.
Though small, the team performed well at state. Coach Thompson invites anyone interested in learning more about the swim team to reach out. Everyone is welcome, no matter your skill level. Already, the team is getting excited for next year’s season. Go, Spartans!
