Time is something that is constantly on Savannah Mitchell’s mind. There’s the time she wakes up in the morning to make her 5:15 training practices; the time she needs to stay alert to do well in her AP courses; and the personal best times which she trains hard to beat. For this senior, you could say that time is everything, and something she never wastes.

Savannah is relatively new to GAC. She transitioned last year from another local private school because she wanted the breadth of class options and opportunities that GAC has to offer. With 28 AP courses and over 20 honors courses to choose from, Savannah knew that GAC would challenge her to perform her best before college. “I’ve really enjoyed my time at GAC. I’ve met a lot of good people and I enjoy the atmosphere in class. You can tell that the teachers care about not just how we do in class, but also how we are as people.” “I think being at GAC has prepared me for all of the classes I need to take in college, especially when it comes to writing well and notetaking.”

Having recently broken three school records, some which have been in place since 2010, Savannah will leave a mark on GAC when she leaves in May. She continues to influence her peers both in and out of the pool through her discipline and commitment. Training between three and five hours each weekday, both before and after school, with more time on the weekends (a rigorous schedule she has maintained since beginning in the high-performance group her freshman year), Savannah has what it takes to perform at the collegiate level. She is signed to swim for Arizona State University starting in the fall, where she will train under Michael Phelps’ former coach Bob Bowman.

While most people take it easy over the holiday break, Savannah enters one of the most intense training periods of the entire year. She works meticulously on the small techniques that can make a huge difference in her performance, such as breaths and flip turns. This 10-year veteran swimmer believes the sport has shaped her in many different ways, making her into a stronger person. “I’ve had to overcome challenges throughout my swim career. My longtime coach passed away when I was a sophomore which was devastating. There are also the everyday challenges, such as balancing the demands of multi-day meets and school work. I’ve had to retrain my thoughts into ones that will help me. Working hard in practice has given me the confidence to know that I’ll be prepared when I race. I think this is something I can apply in different areas of my life- that good preparation influences performance.”

Now, Savannah is looking forward to more competitions and to breaking other records. After the High School state championship, her next big meet will take place in March. After that, her sights will be on her new career as a college student-athlete.  Savannah, a member of the National Honor Society and a multi-year USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, will enter ASU as a sociology major. “I think what I am most excited about is being part of the ASU swim family and new training opportunities. Friends tell me that it’s completely different than year-round swimming in terms of practices and how they do dry land training.”

The best is yet to come for this Spartan.