Statesboro's Oliva Stewart is one of Georgia's top swimmers after two, top-two finishes and a record-breaking performance at Georgia's high school state swimming championships.
The Georgia High School Athletic Association's (GHSA) 2024 Swimming & Diving State Championships, were held Feb. 6-10, at Georgia Tech's McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. Stewart, a senior at Statesboro High School who competes in the 4-A/5-A school classification, placed second in both the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley (IM), which is an event that requires swimmers to perform four different strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle) all in one race with each stroke being 50 yards. She also beat a 20-year standing state record in the 100-yard breaststroke by .7 seconds.
These recent accomplishments add to her other recent successes. In a special ceremony at her high school in Nov. 2023, she signed her commitment to swim for Auburn University, who offered her a swim scholarship.
"We are so proud of her," said Statesboro Athletic Director Liz Driggers, Ed.D.
Last year at the 2023 GHSA State Championships, Stewart came in third place in the 100 Breaststroke and fourth in the 100 Butterfly. These 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 United States of America (USA) Swimming affiliated team. USA Swimming is the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States including the U.S. Olympic Team.
