After a season of ups and downs, the Paideia Swim and Dive Team performed admirably at the 2025 Georgia High School Swimming and Diving State Championship. Of the four athletes who qualified for individual events, Wade Tolbert ’25 placed sixth, Daniela Elias-da Silva ’26 placed eighth and both Audrey Ferguson ’25 and Alex Cooksey ’28 qualified for consolation finals for places 11th-20th. The girls’ relay team, composed of Maddie Preyer ’26, Annabelle Barrett ’25, Hannah Campbell ’25 and Alyssa Castellino ’28 placed 15th and set a record for their fastest time in three years. The boys relay team, composed of Saleem Cassoobhoy ’25, Thomas Schiavo ’25, Ben McCarthy ’26 and William Rudolph ’25 also did well and placed 18th.
The swim team’s accomplishments are particularly impressive considering the setbacks they faced, early in the season. After several practice cancellations, venue changes, and a postponed meet, the team remained resilient. According to Coach Tom Jurczack, “Even though there were a lot of interruptions we wouldn’t normally want, we still had a lot of people showing up and working out.”
Jurczack also notes the growth and achievements of athletes who didn’t qualify for state. “As we’re looking for people to get better and qualify for the state meet, we’re also looking for people to improve themselves.” Jurczack says. As a no-cut sport, the swim team’s mission is to help all swimmers improve and have fun, regardless of their skill level. “We’re looking for people to get better, get stronger, and be more comfortable in the water.”
Jurczack ended by thanking his co-coach, Raymond Lam, and the team: “It’s a really awesome group of kids we have on the team. They all support each other.” Although the season has ended, the team will keep making waves as we head into summer.
