Annabelle Sears '23 Recruiting Profile

I started swimming at a young age around 6 or 7 for my summer league team at Nottaway swim club in Tucker, GA in Dekalb county. At the age of 10 I moved to Lilburn, GA in Gwinnett and my mom signed me and my younger brother up to swim on the summer league team in our neighborhood, the Cedar Creek stingrays. When I hit the age of 13 I finally began to realize that I was getting faster and faster, and then high school started and I decided it would be a good idea to swim for my highschool team. My coaches pushed me all throughout my freshman season, trying to make me the best swimmer I could possibly be. I didn’t work as hard as I should’ve that season, but I still swam very great. The banquet that year came and I was awarded rookie of the year and most improved swimmer, it was a huge confidence boost and I knew I can do even more great things. Sophomore year hit me and I told myself I needed to work as hard as I could, and I did. I didn’t stop on the wall once the entire season and I attending close to all of my practices. The work payed off and in December of 2020 I qualified for state in the 100 backstroke at a dual meet. It was crazy because it was only my second time ever swimming the event. I never would’ve thought I would ever qualify for state, even in backstroke. I didn’t even think I could properly swim backstroke. A month went by leading up to the county championships and my coaches entered me to swim in the 200 freestyle and the 100 back, I also lead off the 200 free relay and swam in the 400 free relay. I started it off with the 200 free relay leading off my relay in first place swimming a 26.66, then I anchored the 400 free relay, swimming a 57.94. It was crazy, I had never broken a minute in my 100 freestyle and I missed the state cut for 50 free by .1 seconds. I didn’t know I could go that fast. The next day of county I swam the 200 freestyle and the 100 back. I was really confident about my 200 free and I was telling myself I was for sure going to make state. I swam the 200 free and went a 2:07.11, missing the state cut by .1 seconds. It was devastating but I knew I just needed to push myself even harder. The sophomore year banquet came and I was awarded most improved swimmer for the second year in a row, which was also another huge confidence boost, but this time I knew for sure I deserved it. My coaches throughout that season told me it would be best for me to join a club team because they saw my potential, and I listened to them. After I swam at state I decided it was best for me to start swimming year round, so I could train even harder and more. I really hope I can continue swimming through college and I know I will improve much more through my next two years of high school. I have a lot of drive and I will always push myself past my limits. I know I have a lot of potential, and I really just want to put myself out there!