Sports
Holy Spirit Prep Varisty Boys Swim Claims GISA State Title
The varsity boys swim team placed 1st at the 2018 GISA State Swim Meet this past weekend.
Holy Spirit Prep Varsity Boys Swimming earned 1st place at the 2018 GISA AAA State Swim Meet this past Saturday at Georgia Tech. After several top placements in relays and individual races, the team finished three points ahead of 2nd place Augusta Prep and surpassed 3rd place Heritage by twenty points. The diligence and stamina of the HSP swimmers throughout the season was apparent in each race.
Some veteran schools were incredulous at the skill and talent of the HSP swimmers, who were making their debut appearance at the State Meet. “After receiving some criticism from other teams, it was nice to see our perseverance pay off,” ninth-grader Jackson Lehmann reflected. “We were able to overcome the criticism and prove to everyone that we deserved the first place spot.”
When asked about the win, tenth-grader Will Stinett said, “It felt awesome! All of the hard work and early morning practices were worth it.” Will contributed to the team by placing 1st in the 200-yard freestyle and helping place 2nd in two relays.
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Earning the state title was not just a victory for the swimmers. “It was a big accomplishment not only for us as a team but also for the whole school,” remarked junior Conner McKittrick, “especially with this year being the revival of the swim program at HSP.”
Ninth-grader Hector Padilla was proud to highlight the level of experience among the HSP swimmers. “We have some unexperienced swimmers, some that had never competed before this year, and we were able to remain competitive at the state level. Winning took a lot of dedication and grit.”
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Established in 1996, Holy Spirit Preparatory School is an independent Catholic school in Atlanta, Georgia, that combines the best traditions of Catholic education with those of a classical preparatory school. Serving students ages six months through twelfth grade, the young school has become known for its strong Catholic identity and its integrated program of academic and spiritual formation. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education named Holy Spirit Prep a Blue Ribbon School. In 2017, the Catholic Education Honor Roll recognized HSP as a national leader in Catholic identity and academics for the sixth consecutive time.