Montverde, Fla. (October 27, 2025) – Montverde Academy is proud to recognize sophomore Maria Castro of the girls swim team as its Student-Athlete of the Week for the week ending October 26.
Castro earned the honor following a perfect day at the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) district championship last Tuesday, where she won all four events she entered. She claimed first place in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:08.27 and captured the 500-yard freestyle in a National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) qualifying time of 4:57.42. Castro also contributed to two relay victories, helping the 200-yard freestyle relay team finish first in 1:37.76 and the 400-yard freestyle relay team take the top spot in 3:33.93.
A first-year student at Montverde Academy, Castro is pursuing her academic passions alongside her athletic success. Her favorite subject is biology, and she cites the diversity of the MVA community as one of her favorite aspects of life at the school. Castro has ambitions of a career in law and brings the same dedication to her studies as she does to the pool.
When asked what she enjoys about swimming, Castro stated, she loves how that even though swimming is an individual sport, having a team to practice with changes everything. She also said even during competitions, having someone cheering for your success is really comforting. She also praised her head coach Guilherme Ferreira noting that he can adapt for everyone's needs and wants how understandable he is about how everyone has their own personal goals.
Castro becomes the third member of Montverde Academy's swim program to earn the Student-Athlete of the Week honor this season, joining fellow girls team member Alejandra Ordonez (September 9) and boys team member Zac Holmes (September 30).
The Montverde Academy swim teams return to the pool on Tuesday, October 28, for the FHSAA Regional Championship meet at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida. The boys team is aiming for its fourth consecutive regional title, while the girls are chasing their sixth championship in the last seven years.
About Montverde Academy:
Montverde Academy is a private, independent college preparatory school for grades Pre-K3 through post-graduate studies, with a boarding program serving grades 7-12 representing 70+ nationalities. Our mission is to inspire students to become knowledgeable leaders with global vision and passion for learning, in a disciplined and diverse community that nurtures character development. For more information, visit us online at Montverde.org and at MVASports.com.
