In the far corner of Southeast Georgia along the state line with Florida is Camden County, a hotbed of high school sports. From football to wrestling and even tennis, the Wildcats are usually near the top of the rankings and have unbridled community support.
But swimming has not usually been associated with Camden County, until recently.
John “Anderson” McNeil Jr. has been attracting attention at the pool with his blazing times, focused on his goal of one day swimming collegiately.
“Ever since my early years of swimming, I have wanted to swim in college,” the recent Camden County High honor graduate said. “So, whenever I get discouraged from a poor day of training or a lackluster performance, I think of my ultimate goal of swimming in college and how this will help me reach that point.”
This year he attained his goal when he signed a scholarship to swim at the collegiate level. In the fall he will leave St. Marys to attend Davidson University, where he will swim at the highest level of national competition. He chose Davidson over Wesleyan University, Washington and Lee University, and Emory University. Davidson is one of the nation’s most selective colleges with 23 Rhodes Scholars. Located just north of Charlotte, North Carolina, Davidson is governed by an honor code that must be followed by all students.
“Throughout high school, I have noticed how people will cheat their way to the top, which is why I chose Davidson,” McNeil said. “Davidson’s honor code not only applies to academics, but it also applies to life in general. Students leave their doors unlocked and laptops sitting out with absolutely nothing to worry about.”
While at Davidson, he plans on majoring in biology and health and human values/pre-med so that he can serve society and inform them of their health choices.
It helps that he is also a top performer in the classroom. Ranked sixth in a class of 526 students, McNeil carried a GPA of 4.9 with additional points given for Advanced Placement classes, his favorite of which was English Language and Composition. He was president of the Senior Beta Club and the Interact Club. He was executive board vice president of Student Council and treasurer of the Key Club. He was also a member of the National Honors Society, Science Bowl, and the Science National Honors Society. He received the Junior Marshall Award and the Georgia Certificate of Merit and was named an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor, a United States Youth Leadership Program Nominee, and a Governor’s Honors Program Nominee. In addition to swimming, McNeil also runs cross country and the 800 meters in track.
McNeil started swimming when he was 10-years-old with the Camden County Boomers, a local competitive swimming club. He now practices nine times per week year-round to stay at the top of his game. He swims the 100-yard breast stroke, the 200 breast stroke, and the 200 individual medley, which is his favorite race.
“It (the 200 individual medley) is a mix of all the strokes and requires you to be a well-rounded swimmer.”
His first big race was the sectionals in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was his first time swimming at such an intense level and encouraged him to work harder every day in practice.
He would go on to swim at Georgia Tech, where he found new faith in his practice regimen. His times had been staying constant with no signs of improvement until he swam the 100 breast stroke in Atlanta.
“At the end of the race, I looked up at the scoreboard and saw that I had dropped a significant amount of time,” McNeil said. “I went on the win high point at that meet and obtained best times in every event I swam.”
He also got the opportunity to swim in the same pool as some of his heroes when he was at a meet in Jacksonville this year.
“I would look over, and I’d be warming up in the lane next to someone that I had watched win gold at the Olympics in Rio the summer before,” McNeil said.
This year he qualified for finals in the state high school championships. Despite having limited access to a pool in which to train, McNeil still qualified for the finals on day two of the meet.
He has been honored as a Georgia All-Star swimmer, a state finalist, and a sectional qualifier. In addition to swimming for coach Jessica Sutton’s Camden County Wildcats, he also swims for the Camden County Boomers, a year-round competitive swim team, and coaches Mary Donn Bowman and Alyson Kaywork.
“They introduced me to a whole new level of training, which ultimately brought me to the point where I could swim at the top colleges I have always hoped to attend,” McNeil said.
McNeil now trains with Mike Kuzma at the prestigious Bolles School in Jacksonville to prepare for college competition.
In his off time, McNeil likes to take the family’s boat over to Cumberland Island National Seashore in Camden County.
“It is the best way to unplug and enjoy being outside,” McNeil said.
Fastest Times:
100-yard breast stroke: 1:00.71
200-yard breast stroke: 2:14.20
200-yard individual medley: 2:00.94
SE-SF-0617-McNeil
John “Anderson” McNeil
Camden County swimming
By Rob Asbell
Photography by Michael Brinson
Swimming Toward a Goal
