Schools

Loganville Senior Swimming Her Way to College

Because of her success in competition, Loganville High School swimmer Alaina Mattix, is being courted by several colleges.

The years of hard work are beginning to pay off. Alaina Mattix is a senior at . She spends almost as much time in the water as she does in class. Her day begins at 5 a.m. in the morning. She trains for an hour and a half before school, and three hours after. While many sleep in on Saturday mornings, she is in the pool training. Unlike most sports, swimming is 12 months a year.

Mattix is a member of a USA Swim Team that is based out of Summit Chase in Snellville. The team competes at the highest level throughout the Southeast. Mattix is a Freestyle sprinter, and she is fast. This summer she obtained her Junior National times. Her next goal is to reach the USA Nationals.

Last month Mattix swam in an event she won’t soon forget. The Lance Armstrong Foundation held their annual Open Water swim at Lake Lanier. It is a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. An Open Water swim is a 1K & 5K event. It was held in October and water temperatures were in the low 70’s. In addition to several regional swimmers from various USA Teams, there were six Olympic Champions that not only attended, but also competed in the event.

“It was so neat being able to meet and swim with some of the fastest swimmers in the world,” Mattix said.

In addition to the Summit Aquatics Team, she is also a member of the Loganville High School swim team. The LHS team is getting ready to begin the 2011 season. Mattix currently holds five High School records, and is confident she will add to those this season. Her school and county records haven’t gone unnoticed. Several colleges from around the country are interested in signing her to swim for them.

Mattix is currently going through the recruiting process and at times, according to her, “it can be overwhelming.”  Her mother, Rebecca Mattix, said there isn’t a day go by lately that she doesn’t receive an email, phone call, or letter. She would like to finalize her visits and make a decision soon, so she can concentrate on school and swimming.

We wish her luck this season, both in school, and in the pool. Perhaps one day she will be one of the celebrities at a charity event. One thing is for sure. There is plenty of hard work ahead. Let’s hope it pays off.

This was contributed by Alaina's father, Mike Mattix.

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