LASA’s Bircher and Bowie’s Cox Crowned All-Central Texas Swimming and Diving Athletes of the Year
Austin, TX – February 26, 2026 – The Austin area dominated the recent UIL state swimming and diving championships, with LASA diver Elizabeth Bircher and Bowie swimmer Rowan Cox earning the top honors as the All-Central Texas Swimming and Diving Athletes of the Year.
Rowan Cox: A Dominant Force in the Pool
Bowie senior Rowan Cox concluded his high school career with a remarkable performance at the Class 6A UIL state meet. Cox set a new state meet record in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 46.27 seconds. He also secured gold in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing in 45.47 seconds – nearly three seconds ahead of the silver medalist. A University of Texas signee, Cox accumulated three gold medals and one silver medal throughout his final two years of high school.
Elizabeth Bircher: A Golden Performance in Diving
LASA senior Elizabeth Bircher achieved gold in the Class 5A 1-meter diving event with a score of 456.10 points, nearly 30 points better than the second-place finisher. This victory was particularly noteworthy as it was Bircher’s first medal at the state level after three previous years of competition. Bircher will continue her diving career at Duke University.
All-Central Texas Team Highlights
The 2026 All-Central Texas Swimming and Diving Team, selected by the Austin American-Statesman, recognizes 12 athletes from eight different schools. Anderson High School led the area with three individual selections.
- Maddox Azuma-Hall, Georgetown: Contributed to a bronze medal in the 200-yard relay and placed fifth in the 100-yard freestyle.
- Brandon Farrens, Anderson: Qualified for state in three events and helped his relay team win gold.
- Ben Jaggers, Anderson: Earned gold in the 200-yard backstroke and was part of a gold-medal-winning relay team, also securing a bronze in the 50-yard freestyle.
- Larson McKeon, Lake Travis: Finished fifth in Class 6A 1-meter diving as a freshman.
- Justin Shi, LASA: Placed third in the Class 5A 100-yard backstroke.
- Abbey Amato, Anderson: Earned a bronze medal in the 100-yard breaststroke.
- Brooke Frushour, Leander: Defended her state title in the Class 5A backstroke and earned bronze in the 100-yard butterfly.
- Charissa Higgs, LASA: A freshman, Higgs earned a silver medal in the Class 5A 100-yard freestyle and a bronze in the 200-yard freestyle.
- Eve Schrader, Gateway Prep: Secured a silver medal in the Class 4A 1-meter diving event.
- Alex Orris, Vandegrift: Anchored the Vipers’ 400-yard freestyle relay team to a silver medal.
The UIL state meet, held at the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, showcased the talent and dedication of Central Texas high school swimmers, and divers.