Bennett, Laurie Cupstid - Swimming, 2000
After nearly three decades, Laurie Cupstid Bennett holds many of our area championship records. She was an exceptional swimmer with an abundance of natural talent. Still, dedication and hard work were the keys to her success. During a three-year span, Bennett went to the blocks 30 times (15 in time trials and 15 in finals) and set a new City record each time. Bennett qualified as a Georgia Amateur Athletic Union of the U.S. (AAU) All Star athlete from the age of eight through her entire swimming career, breaking and setting various age group Georgia AAU State records. After graduating from high school, Bennett accepted a four-year scholarship to Georgia Southern College (now Georgia Southern University). She was the only swimmer at GSC to obtain national rankings in three events and represented them at the NCAA Championships in Hempstead, NY in her very first year. Never before, nor since, has a local swimmer dominated the field in such a manner.