WOODSTOCK — When Alarii Levreault-Lopez was 5 years old, his mother signed him up for swimming lessons.

What started out as a plan to keep a youngster from drowning has come a considerable way since then.

“I wasn’t really good at anything else, so I went into the competitive side of (swimming),” Levreault-Lopez said. “I have worked hard.

The Woodstock sophomore has since excelled at the sport. He qualified for the Class AAAAAA state meet in two individual events, coming away with a seventh-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly and 14th in the 500 freestyle. He also competed in the 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay.

For his success and dedication throughout the season, Levreault-Lopez is the 2012-13 Cherokee Tribune Boys Swimmer of the Year.

Before competing in the state meet, Levreault-Lopez helped Woodstock win the Cherokee County boys championship.

He helped his team to a first-place finish in the 200 medley relay and second-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay, while winning individual county titles in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly.

Levreault-Lopez said his favorite event is the 100 butterfly — and not just because he excels at it.

“It’s the hardest stroke in my opinion, and I feel like I can showcase my talents,” he said.

While some athletes might be content winning county titles and placing in the state meet, that isn’t the case for Levreault-Lopez.

“I still think I have a lot of things to work on,” he said. “There is always room for improvement. I think there is a long way to go for me, and I am hoping to be as good as I can possibly be by the end of my high school career.”

Among the things Levreault-Lopez is working on are the butterfly and distance freestyle — his two specialties. He does some running and weightlifting with his club team, but 95 percent of the work that he does is in the pool.

Overall, Levreault-Lopez was pleased with his sophomore campaign.

He attributes much of his success to his coaches and parents, who instilled in him a strong work ethic. Levreault-Lopez said it also helps to have a good team around him.

“I’m committed to the sport,” he said. “My parents and coaches taught me what a good work ethic is, and I have followed that.”

As seriously as he takes swimming, Levreault-Lopez hits the books just as hard. He is ranked ninth in his class.

When it comes time to pick a college, he hopes to find somewhere that is strong in both the pool and the classroom, such as Stanford or Georgia Tech.

“Academics come before swimming for me,” Levreault-Lopez said, “but I would really like to swim in college, too.”

Whatever path Levreault-Lopez chooses to follow, he will have two more years in the pool for Woodstock, and he hopes to make the most of them both.

“It was a good season, but I think that I can get a lot faster over the next two years,” he said.