Two Cobb County high school swimmers have been named Athletes of the Week for their recent performances in county championship meets. Reagan Burton from Harrison High School and Houston Bickers from Pope High School received the honors, which recognize students for excellence in athletics, academics, and community involvement.
Reagan Burton is a junior at Harrison High School and has won four Cobb County swimming championships. She swims year-round and has already been selected as captain for next year’s team. According to her coach Carey Ward, “Reagan leads in our best relays and individually always competes for the top spot. She is the first to encourage others and to help guide them to be better. I could brag all day about her: great grades, great swimmer, and just a wonderful person!”
Wes Ellis, Athletic Director at Harrison High School, added: “Not only is Reagan a great athlete, she is also a great student, school citizen, and example for her peers and the community. She carries herself with a quiet confidence and is never one to seek the spotlight. She is such a talented swimmer who has multiple state championships from last season. She is an absolute asset to our school!”
Harrison High School provides students with numerous extracurricular activities including athletic teams and performing arts as described on its official website. The school serves students in the Kennesaw area through its role in the Cobb County School District (link), where it has earned recognition for academic excellence based on state assessments and college readiness metrics (link). Harrison offers Advanced Placement courses, career pathways, fine arts programs (link), and functions as a public high school within this district (link).
Houston Bickers from Pope High School also earned Athlete of the Week status after breaking two county records. As a junior, he set a new 100-yard freestyle record with a time of 46.43 seconds—surpassing a mark that had stood since 2001—and previously broke the 200-yard record. Houston swims year-round since elementary school and was named points MVP for his team.
His coach Zachary Schreer commented: “Houston is a quiet leader who likes to set the example. He’s very humble, but always looking for the next mountain to climb. His teammates love him and he supports them right back. He’s a great kid: good in the classroom, and fast in the pool.”
Pope Athletic Director Josh Mathews said: “He demonstrates strong leadership traits, is a superb athlete, and an outstanding performer in his classes. Houston is one of our top-performing athletes. As a junior, we are excited to see him perform with excellence in future swim meets.”
The Athletes of the Week program receives ongoing support from BSN Sports.
