Janie Davis spends a lot of time in the water. That investment has paid off with an incredible senior year for Jefferson in which she qualified for state in four events, and finished top-10 in them all. That earns her the first-ever BLITZ Swimmer of the Year award.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 4 events qualified for state
• 4 top-10 performances at state
• 4th in the 100 Butterfly
• 7th in the 400 Relay
• 8th in the 500 Freestyle
• 8th in the 200 Relay

Getting to state is hard enough, but showing that you can perform at a top-10 level in four different events…that’s insanely good! Janie Davis had a remarkable season.

VOTING RESULTS

1. Janie Davis – 54 pts (8 1st-place votes)
2. Katherine Law – 32
3. Nelson Wilkinson – 31.5 (4)
4. Haydn Tatum – 19.5 (1)
5. Lauren Lindsey – 11
6. William White – 8

Davis was the heavy favorite in the voting, but it’s worth noting that Nelson Wilkinson logged 4 first-place votes as well, and Davis’ teammate Katherine Law was runner-up in voting.

Voting included our 13-person panel made up of sports reporters, writers, video producers, former coaches, players, GHSA officials, and sports experts. The voting is Heisman-style, with the following points system:
1st place votes: 5 pts; 2nd: 3 pts; 3rd: 2 pts; 4th: 1 pts; 5th-6th: 0.5 pts

HISTORY OF SWIMMER OF THE YEAR

• 2020-21 – Janie Davis – Jefferson SR

Davis marks the very first Swimmer of the Year.

WHO WILL WIN IT NEXT YEAR?

Look out for Nelson Wilkinson. He got better for Tallulah Falls as the year went on, and qualified in 5 events for state. Katherine Law also had a great season and will be back. Those two are right now the front-runners for next year’s award since Davis is a senior.