By Brandon O’Connor

Reporter

Years of hard work paid off in a big way for Tara Stevens on Wednesday when she put pen to paper and officially committed to swim collegiately at Limestone University in Gaffney, South Carolina. 

“The coach is great and I really love the team atmosphere,” Stevens said of why she chose Limestone. “I love the small school atmosphere. The teacher ratio is really small. Everything just felt right.”

The Saints compete at the NCAA Division II level

“It is a great fit for Tara,” Tara’s mother Teresa Stevens said. “They have the curriculum for her future with the ability for her to swim in the NCAA. The college student body is made up of mostly athletes and class sizes are small. She will also have the ability to do an internship on campus or at surrounding campuses. It’s in a great location for her, close enough to get home and far enough that she is away.”

Stevens swims as a member of the Bainbridge High School swim team as well as the ATAC swim club in Tallahassee.

Her commitment to the team in Tallahassee forced her to travel there multiple days a week and construct her high school class schedule around swimming with the help of guidance counselor Susan Moseley.

“It took a lot of hard work a lot of dedication and a lot of committee,” Stevens said. “I went to practice everyday. I worked hard at every practice and I just stayed committed and didn’t give up and this is where I’m at today. I really love that I committed and it feels great to be where I’m at today.”

The hours of driving and training enabled her to accomplish her goal of signing a college scholarship.

“I’ve never been so proud,” Teresa Stevens said. “It’s wonderful. Her hard work has paid off. It’s been a long road, but it’s all worth it.”