Tara Stevens has competed with the Bainbridge High school swim team since she was a freshman and with Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club for the past eight years. This being her senior year and her season coming to a close she wanted to end it in a big way.

Stevens has been back to back region champion and state qualifier. For her four years of high school, she did not lose a single race in the regular season. This year she once again won region and lead the Lady Cats to another region champion title. Stevens also competed for Bainbridge at the Georgia High School State Championships in Atlanta.

She took this meet to an entire new level and took two relays with her. In the 200 yard medley relay, Stevens split a 29.3 in the backstroke leg. To follow was, Katie Campbell who swam the butterfly leg in 30.51, Haley Helms swimming the breaststroke leg in 35.63 and Sydney Hutchins finishing the freestyle leg with a 27.15. Stevens then moved to the prelims of her individual events starting with the 200 yard freestyle.

She finished respectively in 11th place with a time of 1:55.68. Then swimming the 500 yard freestyle in a personal best of 5:09.33 and finished 7th. She finished her prelims off with the 200 yard freestyle relay. The relay consisted of Hutchins swimming a 27.91, Emilee Poppell swimming a 28.68, Helms swimming a 27.65, and Stevens swimming a 25.83.

Coming back the next day, she swam the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:54.64 and the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:13.65. Stevens states, “I am very proud of the high school team for supporting me throughout my swimming career.” Two weeks later, Stevens was off to Spring Senior Championships in Orlando, FL with Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club.

Starting with the 400 individual medley, she finished with a 4:39.32. She also competed in the 200 yard individual medley and the 100 yard backstroke and had a great showing in these events shattering her best times. In the 200 individual medley, she finished with a time of 2:10.63.

Then went on to compete in the 100 backstroke finishing with a time of 59.56, breaking the one minute barrier. To finish off the meet she competed in the 100 yard freestyle (56.05), 100 yard breaststroke (1:11.33), and the 200 backstroke (2:11.64).

Stevens stated, “Thank you to everyone that has helped me get to where I am today and a special thank you to my parents helping me through this process.” and swimming for Limestone College.