Christy Watkins Swartzman '99

Christy Watkins Swartzman was a member of the varsity swimming team for five years, leading the team to three district championships and two state runner-up finishes. She was the 1997 and 1998 individual state champion in the 100 backstroke and the 1998 individual state champion in the 100 butterfly. Christy was also a member of the state championship 200 medley relay team and the 200 freestyle relay team in 1998.

In 1997, her record in the U.S High School Independent School 100 backstroke stood until 2011. In 1998, she set the school record in the 100 butterfly and was on the 200 medley relay team which set the school record. She was named the Orlando Sentinel swimmer of the year in 1997 and 1998 and was named to the All-County team in 1997 and 1998.

Christy continued her athletic career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a four-time NCAA All-American, earned All-ACC honors for four years, won seven individual ACC titles and six ACC relay titles, and became only the fourth female in ACC history to win an event four consecutive years at the conference meet. She was named UNC’s most valuable swimmer in 2000 and 2003 and was inducted into the UNC Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame in 2011.