Christopher Swint closed the book on a storied track and field career last week.
The 2024 Davidson Fine Arts graduate made it official, signing with Marshall University at a ceremony with his family, friends and coaches.
Swint finished runner-up in both the 200-meter (21.61) and 400-meter (49.16) dashes in the Georgia High School Association boys state track and field meet back in May. He chose the Thundering Herd over offers from Georgia Tech and Umass.
It was a long journey on the recruiting trail, but Swint zeroed in on his decision at the beginning of the summer. In true signing day fashion, he made sure to tease his selection to the audience before announcing his final decision.
“It took a while. It’s a hard process figuring out where you want to call home for the next four years of your life,” he said. “It felt like home. The coaches were super supportive of everything I did. The constant love for me and everything they said they would do for me and the way they’d progress me, but also seeing me more than an athlete. That’s what stood out to me. Seeing me as a person.”
His mother, Dawn, echoed Swint’s sentiments about the decision being about much more than athletics.
“I’m extremely proud of him and all of his accomplishments,” she said. “He had so many choices and I’m happy with his choice. The school was amazing and as a mother, it’s somewhere I have to send him for four years and knowing they’re taking care of him, I’m comfortable with that.”
How Swint became one of Georgia’s top high school sprinters
A two-time podium finisher at state, what’s more remarkable about Swint’s accomplishments is that he changed his running style halfway through his high school career. A former long-distance runner, he quickly became one of the best sprinters in the state after essentially picking it up on the fly.
How rare is that? Davidson coach Adam Kowalczyk put it into perspective.
“I truly can’t put it into words. All his training, his body was built for distance runs. That’s all he’s ever done since he was little, even before he was here at Davidson," he said. "He grew a lot and he’s physically matured, but to switch halfway through your high school career and to see his success, I cannot put into words how difficult that is. The countless hours of training, adjusting his stride, adjusting his hand placement, his swing, everything about running he had to make those adjustments.”
Swint has been part of the track and field program at Davidson since he was in the sixth grade. It offers a unique opportunity for him and his coaches as he grew in the same environment for much longer than a traditional high school athlete.
“I think it’s great from a coaching standpoint. You get three more years to work with him. A lot of high school coaches, you get them in ninth grade and then they’re building,” Kowalczyk said. “It was a great opportunity to see him grow; and on the personal side, when you’re in sixth grade, you’re a baby. To see them really develop and grow as a person. I think back when he was a little sixth grader when we were just starting out on track, how different he is just as a person and an athlete. That growth is so tremendous at Davidson and I just love that about it.”
For a school that offered just swimming and golf less than a decade ago, the Davidson athletic programs continue to grow and flourish. While Division-I signings have been rare throughout the school’s history, they may become the norm in the near future.
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