01/25/2025
BERKELEY BULLDOGS excel in everything!
Stone shines as leader for Bulldogs in short time with program
January 23, 2025
By Jim Faasen, Correspondent
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STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley swimmer Alexis Stone has burst on the scene for the Bulldogs in less than two seasons. The sophomore already has managed to earn a place as the current program record holder in all 11 events.
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When it comes to the record books for the girls’ swim program at STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley, Alexis Stone has become quite the author.
The Bulldogs sophomore, who has been swimming since age six, has had a hand in re-writing each of the school’s top performance marks in all 11 possible events in a little more than a season.
Couple that with Stone’s making the top performance list for all of MSHSAA the past two seasons in a handful of events and it’s easy to see why she’s excited by the hard work she’s put in to excel in the pool.
“Seeing my name on the (school record board and the) state performance list is definitely exciting and boosts my confidence,” Stone said. “Being up there really shows me that all this hard work and dedication (has meant something).”
While Stone has proven to be a human ‘Swiss Army Knife’ in the pool, showing there isn’t anything she can’t do in both solo races and relays, STEAM coach Jackson Spencer was quick to point out the one stroke that has been the main arrow in Stone’s arsenal.
“Alexis excels in all strokes, but her strongest is backstroke,” Spencer said. “She consistently performs at a high level in this stroke, showing exceptional technique and consistency in her times.”
The school record set by Stone in the stroke this season stands at 1 minute, 7.14 seconds.
Stone said her main reason for liking the stroke is simple.
“I can always breathe,” said Stone of her comfort during the event. “I can breathe whenever I want.”
Even though it’s the backstroke where Stone may shine brightest, Spencer said that her athletic prowess pales compared to who she is as a person.
“One of the most impressive aspects of Alexis’s character is her kindness and willingness to support her teammates,” Spencer said. “Recently, she worked with a fellow swimmer to improve their freestyle technique. The immediate improvement and the confidence boost it provided were a testament to Alexis’s genuine care for her teammates and her ability to positively impact those around her. Her combination of athletic skill and strong interpersonal qualities makes her an invaluable member of our team.”
In addition to her athletic prowess and her interpersonal qualities, Stone has shown that she’s also exceedingly bright in the classroom.
She currently holds a weighted 4.375 grade point average and said that, while she wants to prepare herself for a chance to swim at the next level, she still has plenty to do in high school.
“My goal for the rest of (this) season, is to make state and better my times,” Stone said. “My goal for the rest of my career is to swim in college.”
Spencer said that he feels Stone has accomplished all she has and will continue to hit goals because she pays close attention to the details.
Through strong work on who she is as a swimmer and the care she takes in her craft; the sky is the limit for his swimmer.
“Alexis’s primary goal will always be to continually improve her times and refine her technique,”
Spencer said. “She is only a sophomore and her potential is limitless. I believe her goals will evolve as she continues to grow both as an athlete and as a leader.”
Stone said that she’s been able to accomplish all she has because of her parents, Elizabeth and Kevin Stone.
“My parents have played an important role in my swimming career,” Stone said. “They have given me the opportunities that I have, such as club swim, to better my swimming. My parents always come to support me, and are always proud of me!
