February 23, 2026 – After winning their seventh straight Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Girls Swimming and Diving State Championship, the Lassiter Swim and Dive team can officially be considered a dynasty. Their sustained success and dominance over an extended period have justified and solidified that claim. Under the direction of Head Coach Brittany Hughes, the Lassiter girls swam to an impressive 62-point margin of victory at this year’s State meet.
“This was a really well-rounded group of girls,” the multi-champion Coach Hughes said. “Everyone was all in with ‘I will do whatever needs to be done for the team.’ The senior leadership set the tone for what their goals were this season, and they don’t get tired of winning.”
Senior Ashlyn Loftin is a back-to-back individual State Champion in the 100-yard Breaststroke. She has been part of the last three girls’ team titles.
“These have been the best memories of my life,” she said recently, after the school honored the team with a Champions Walk. “Thinking about the championships makes me happy. It makes my heart beat a little quicker. The pride I carry in this team is very powerful, and I would do anything for this team, and I hope they know that.”
While the girls were adding another trophy to their consecutive State Title streak, this year, Coach Hughes also orchestrated a GHSA Boys Swimming and Diving State Championship. It is the first State Title for the male swimmers in the school’s history and represented an amazing double domination with both boys and girls sweeping the 5A classification State Championships this year. The boys’ win gave Coach Hughes her eighth overall State Title.
“She's just a great coach,” explained Senior Ethan Jones, who swam on two State Champion relays and scored important team points with two fourth-place individual finishes at the State meet. “She always knows what events to put people in and how to place people in the right order for relays. We take great pride in the girls’ team, and we strive to be like them. This year, we finally got our chance, and we got it done.”
When asked how this year’s double championship win stands out amongst the rest, Coach Hughes insisted that every year has been special in its own way, but “having the boys and girls win together was amazing.”
Amazing could also describe Coach Hughes’ leadership, but she often deflects credit, noting the contributions of her assistant coaches, Melissa Massey and Morgan Prestera. She even made sure to point out how important having two divers was in winning the boys’ championship this year. Still, there’s no question that Coach Hughes’ system works, and that she is the battery that powers the machine.
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“Talent matters,” Lassiter Athletic Director Scott Kelly noted, “but culture is what sustains excellence. There’s a clear standard of accountability, discipline, and team-first mentality that every swimmer buys into. Coach Hughes creates an environment where consistency is everything. There’s a clear structure to the program, so athletes know what’s expected of them every day, in and out of the pool.”
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Beyond the Aquatic Center
Outside the pool, Coach Hughes may enjoy even greater wins. She has been the Head Swim Coach since the 2013-2014 school year, but her career at Lassiter began in 2011-2012 as a school counselor. Walking the pool deck, encouraging and leading the swim team, fills the trophy case, but helping students manage the highs and lows of their teenage years changes lives.
Recently, Coach Hughes and the rest of Lassiter’s counseling team were recognized with the Cobb School Counseling Comprehensive Model Certification, a validation of their program’s success.
Dr. Chris Richie, Lassiter’s principal, understands the value that Coach Hughes brings through both of her roles.
“Whether she is preparing a swimmer for a State Meet or guiding a student through course selections and post-secondary planning, she empowers them to see their own potential,” Dr. Richie explained. “She does not simply solve problems for students; she equips them with the tools to navigate challenges.”
Coach Hughes also recognizes that her experience as a counselor likely plays a significant role in the success of Lassiter’s Swim and Dive Teams.
“In my role as a counselor,” she said, “I feel like I know the pressure that these kids are under academically, extracurricularly, and athletically, to excel and be their best. So many of them are high achieving. So, with coaching, when someone has a bad race, I'm not going to lecture them. I want to work with them on that mental shift, where they can process it, acknowledge it, but then move on. You know, what's our next goal? And I think that same process is used with high school counseling. A student has a bad day, bad friendship, or relationship drama. Well, let's focus on yourself. What are you going to do differently next time?”
Senior swimmer Loftin sees that practice in action.
“She's very kind,” Loftin shared when asked about her school’s coach and counselor. “She cares about everyone on a personal level, and cares about our personal lives as well. It's not all about swimming. She's always proud of me, even if I don't do the best, she's always proud of me.”
Whether helping students navigate the challenges of high school or leading the charge toward another Swim and Dive State Championship, Coach Hughes is a model of consistency.
“Coach Hughes’ true success lies in the long-term outcomes,” Dr. Richie stated. “Her students graduate with a plan, believe in themselves, and carry forward the lessons of resilience, goal-setting, and self-advocacy that she has instilled. Championships may define a season, but her influence as a counselor has helped shape the lives of thousands of students and athletes throughout her career as a counselor at Lassiter.”
For Brittany Hughes, trophies may line her walls, but her most significant victories might be the students walking the halls.
h/t non-branded photos provided by Coach Brittany Hughes/Lassiter
