Tennis standout Sara Swift graduates from St. Ed’s on Saturday with a “can’t wait” attitude for the fall semester to start at Wake Forest University, where she has lined up academic and athletic programs that point to a promising future.
This was not initially a done deal, however. It took a last-ditch recruitment effort and some sound adult advice.
“Georgetown was my dream school ever since I was young,” Sara said. “The coach actually offered me a spot on the tennis team over the summer. I was so excited, but out of nowhere this Wake Forest opportunity came up.
“The coach at Wake Forest emailed me out of the blue. I talked to my counselor (Michele Sternberg) and told her I really wanted to commit to Georgetown. She said I should visit Wake Forest just to make sure I didn’t have any regrets.
“That was probably the best advice I could ever receive. On my official visit in September, I knew when I set foot on campus that Wake Forest was the right place for me.
“The team and the coach were very welcoming, and I immediately felt like I was already part of the team. The facilities were beautiful and I had a chance to attend a couple of classes. I really felt comfortable with everything about the school. It was really a good visit.”
It must have tough to choose between two very prestigious institutions, but that’s the enviable position Sara created for herself.
“Sara Swift is the quintessential student-athlete,” says Sternberg. “She has never earned anything less than an A minus in any course during her entire high school career. In my 19 years at St. Edward’s only a handful of students have accomplished that.”
A lofty GPA of 4.51 paved the way into the National Honor Society, the Science National Honor Society and the Cum Laude Society for this obviously gifted student. Sara was also honored for creative writing, for art work in congressional competitions, and for proficiency in national Spanish examinations.
Her extensive community service background includes volunteering with the Indian River Lagoon Envirothon, Riverside Children’s Theatre, the Fashion for Freedom Show and the Mardy Fish Foundation.
What happens in the classroom and community often occurs without much fanfare. What Sara was able to do on the tennis court certainly caught the eye of the public.
She was No. 1 in singles and doubles for St. Ed’s Head Coach Jim Buck during a four year stretch starting in eighth grade. Audiences were treated to some outstanding high school tennis at Riverside Park during that period as the Pirates played their way to three state championship tournaments.
It didn’t take long for the accolades to pour in – consider such highlights as All-Area first team in 2010 and 2011, All-Area Player of the Year in 2012, and All-Area Co-Player of the Year in 2013. A silver medal from the 2013 Class 1A state singles championship match capped off a brilliant junior campaign and put a bow tie on her high school tennis career.
Sara explained the decision to step aside with one year of eligibility remaining. “Of course I thought about maybe going after the state championship as an individual, but I was very happy with what I accomplished as an underclassman. I think it was a good idea to give some other girls a shot at playing in district and regional tournaments.
“I wanted to work on my game in tournaments outside of school to get ready for next year. Playing tennis here was so much fun because I was part of a team. Now I know what to expect in college.
“Being part of a team that went to states for the first time in school history was really exciting. Then we went two more times. I’ll never forget that.”
Even with her college plans firmly in place, you won’t find Sara letting up to any extent.
“A lot of seniors have a bad case of senioritis once they commit, and they just relax and take a breather. For me it was actually the opposite. When I watched the Wake Forest team play, I realized that I wanted to work harder so I can go in feeling very prepared.
“So I’ve been training very hard with my coach (Alain Mignolet at Twin Oaks) and also working hard on strength and conditioning, which has improved my game a lot. I haven’t really taken a break at all this entire year.”
Sara described her style as aggressive with strong forehand and backhand groundstrokes. She’s focused on developing an all court game by transitioning to the net with a strong serve-and-volley game. There will also be a greater emphasis on doubles play in college.
As for that other aspect of college life, Sara said “a health and exercise science major combines everything that I’ve ever been interested in into one curriculum. I hadn’t heard about that at other schools and it sounded perfect, so that’s what I’ll study when I get there.”