Statesboro's Olivia Stewart is one of Georgia's top swimmers after a pair of top-2 finishes and a record-breaking performance at the Georgia High School Athletic Association's state swimming championships.

The state meet was held Feb. 6-10 at Georgia Tech's McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. Stewart, a senior at Statesboro High who competes in the 4/5-A school classification, placed second in both the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley. She also beat a 20-year standing state record in the 100-yard breaststroke by 0.7 seconds.

These recent accomplishments add to her other successes. In a special ceremony at SHS in Nov., she signed her commitment to swim for Auburn University, which offered her a swim scholarship.

"We are so proud of her," said Statesboro Athletic Director Liz Driggers.

Last year at the 2023 GHSA championships, Stewart came in third place in the 100 Breaststroke and fourth in the 100 Butterfly. Those wins qualified her as an All-American, a designation which means she is considered to be one of the best amateur athletes in her sport.

With the support of her family, Stewart began swimming year-round in ninth grade to further develop her talent. Besides being a member of her high school team during its winter season, she also swims with the Aiken-Augusta Swim League, in Augusta, which is a USA Swimming affiliated team. USA Swimming is the national governing body for the sport in the nation including the U.S. Olympic Team.