Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, November 12, 2008

A pair of Fayette County Public Schools students has been named Scholastic All-Americans for 2007-08 by USA Swimming, the sport’s national governing body.

Cal Staben, a senior at Henry Clay High School, and Kristen Wilson, a junior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, were selected for their outstanding job in the classroom and their consistent performances in the pool. Seth Broster, a Tates Creek High graduate and now a freshman at Clemson University, also was honored.

“It’s a culmination of what I’ve been working for. It’s been 11 years that I’ve been swimming, and it’s nice to get a reward finally,” said Staben, tagged as No. 10 in the country in the 100-meter breaststroke in his age group.

The honor is based on academics and athletics.

“You apply for it, and USA Swimming uses your times. It’s based on that,” Staben explained. “I figured that I would be chosen. I had a 4.0, so I thought I was a lock-in.”

He carries an unweighted 4.0 GPA in the Liberal Arts Academy at Henry Clay High, where he competes on the school’s swim team in the fall. He also was just named Henry Clay’s recipient of the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award, which is based on academics, athletics and community service.

Staben and Wilson are both active with the Wildcat Aquatics club team year-round.

Wilson, who has an unweighted 3.8 GPA at Dunbar, has been swimming competitively for seven years. “It’s really an honor because I feel like a lot of my hard work has finally paid off,” she said of the award from USA Swimming, which noted her performance in the 50 and 100 freestyle.

“Last time I checked, I was in the top 16” in the country in the 50, she said.

Ben Davis, their coach at Wildcat Aquatics, praised their efforts. “It’s a testament to their dedication to both their schoolwork and their swimming,” he said.

About USA Swimming:

As the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 300,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Its membership includes swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming also selects and trains teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, promote the sport, and achieve competitive success.