Dixon Stone realized pretty early in his athletic career that he wasn’t cut out for most land-based sports, so he jumped in the water.

Years later, he’s left a lot of people in his wake.

Stone, a St. Aloysius swimmer, is expected to be among the top finishers in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events at the MHSAA Class I state swim meet Saturday in Tupelo.

He’s got the fourth-fastest 50 yard qualifying time in Class I — schools that are in Class 1A through 4A in other sports — and the third-fastest time in the 100.

“It’s super cool, and it’s exciting,” Stone, a senior, said of being one of the fastest swimmers in the state. “Later on, you can tell your kids I was top five in the state. I probably won’t even realize it until later.”

Stone’s success, on several levels, has come largely in the shadows.

High school swimming rarely gets the publicity of more high-profile sports like football and basketball. Even on his own team, this is the first time Stone has been St. Al’s best swimmer.

Wally Wibowo, who graduated in May, is the Class I recordholder in both the 50 and 100 yard freestyle. Wibowo was the state champion in both events in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Stone made it to the state meet in the 200 yard freestyle each of the past three years, but never finished higher than fifth. He was third in the 500 yard freestyle in 2013.

With Wibowo’s graduation, Stone became the team’s fastest swimmer and almost by default was moved into the role of a sprinter. He’s thrived there, winning races and placing second in the 50 and 100 at the South State meet two weeks ago.

“He’s swimming really well. He had a great South State meet. He’s doing what you expect a senior to do,” St. Al coach Bruce Ebersole said. “He’s really versatile. Moving him was a combination of his strengths and trying to knock out some points from some other teams.”

Stone said he’s enjoyed the role as St. Al’s A-lister, even if it is a lot more pressure than being a complementary piece on a successful team.

“I feel like it’s tougher being ‘the guy,’” Stone said. “If you’re the fastest guy on a relay and go slow, you could lose places for your team. It’s a lot of pressure and responsibility.”

In addition to his success in the pool, Stone has taken care of business in the classroom. He has a 4.33 GPA, and is on St. Al’s mock trial and quiz bowl teams. He plans to attend Ole Miss and wants to go to law school.

“I’m probably more of a scholar than an athlete,” he said with a laugh.

Saturday will be Stone’s last high school meet, and likely his last athletic event. He said he likes to run, but doesn’t do it competitively.

Swimming is his only sport, and one he joked he found out he needed to concentrate on a long time ago. It turned out to be a wise decision.

“It’s the only thing I compete in. I’m not coordinated enough to play football or soccer,” he said, taking another jab at himself. “It’s my sport. I may not be the very best, but I’m pretty good.”