A.C. Flora’s Class 3A 100Y Freestyle State Champion Janson Busby Before the practice began for the high school swim season, A.C. Flora coach Brooke Fonder had penciled junior Janson Busby into the distance events: the 200 and 500 freestyle and the 200 IM.

Busby was an established yearround swimmer who had enjoyed success in the distance events.

So it was a bit of a surprise when Busby approached her and said he wanted to be a sprint swimmer this season.

The move turned out to be a savvy one.

Busby won the 100 yard freestyle at the Class 3A meet earlier this month. He was the only state champion from a Midlands school in any class.

Yet in the days before the meet, Busby wasn’t optimistic.

“I didn’t feel good (about my swimming) at all,” the junior said while on his way to practice for his yearround swim team (Carolina Aquatics) early this week. “I felt a little out of shape pretty much the whole season. I should have had a better time from the season, and, as a result, I had a really bad placement.”

In a meet where the top two qualifying times start in lanes 4 and 5 and the rest of the field fills the remaining lanes based on time, Busby was swimming in lane 2.

“His times (this season) were comparable to where he has been,” Fonder said. “He has been faster for his yearround competitions, but the state high school meet isn’t a shave and taper meet for him, where it might be for some others.”

The 100 was the last of his four events at Clemson University. He helped the A.C. Flora team post top–five finishes in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. Though he finished fifth in the 200 freestyle, he was not in the final heat because of a slow qualifying time. He swam the event once during the regular season.

In his last event, Busby thought he was in the lead throughout but wasn’t certain.

“I could tell he won, but he couldn’t see the scoreboard right away. You should have seen his face when he saw that he won.”

The individual title was Busby’s first, although he was a part of the winning 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams that won at last year’s meet.

“It was more important to me this year to be an individual champion than to win another relay,” Busby said. “And, I thought the 100 was my best chance.”

Busby’s victory also gave A.C. Flora a two–year winning streak in the event: Bill Flatt won the 50 and 100 freestyle last year.