Stanton brothers enjoy ‘kind of insane’ journey to state championships
Brookwood junior Collier Stanton extended his arm to the wall, glanced at the scoreboard and slapped the water as his older brother, Baylor, pumped his fist behind the block. The brothers had just won their final state title together in the 200 freestyle relay at the 2026 GHSA swimming state championships.
With Baylor leading off and Collier anchoring, the moment felt fitting — one brother handing the torch to another.
“Competing at the state level with your brother is kind of insane,” Baylor said. “I feel like it’s awesome to look behind me and know that my brother’s right there with me every step of the way.”
Alongside seniors Ean Silvers and Evan Loo, the brothers captured gold in 1:24.96, an All-American consideration time that helped Brookwood’s men’s team claim back-to-back state titles on Saturday at the McAuley Aquatic Center.
Baylor, the top prospect in the nation who is set to swim at the University of California-Berkeley next year, and Collier, who is currently going through the recruiting process, played several sports growing up, but it was summer league swimming where they found their passion.
Baylor showed a natural feel for the strokes and was encouraged to begin swimming year-round at Gwinnett Aquatics at age 10, with Collier soon following his lead.
“He brought me into the sport of swimming,” said Collier. “I was faster in the beginning, but I think now we just carry on the competitiveness, and it’s just really fun to be his brother.”
Baylor capped his high school career in just the right way — with three more state titles. He earned gold in the 200 individual medley (where he broke his own GHSA record), 100 backstroke and 200 medley relay.
Collier, who was the defending state champion in the 500 freestyle, took home bronze this year and narrowly missed the podium in the 200 freestyle.
Despite sharing the same pools, the brothers have different personalities that allow them to support and push each other in unique ways.
“Baylor is very calculated,” their mother Amy Stanton said. “He has a routine that he likes to do, he has things that he likes to check off every day. Collier isn’t as structured. He’s a little more free-flowing. If he doesn’t feel like that today, he’ll do something else.”
As Collier battled through the 500 freestyle, Baylor watched the clock. Minutes later, Collier took his place, cheering for his brother from the pool deck during the 100 backstroke — encouraging each other in their own ways.
“You always worry sometimes if you have siblings in the same team, ‘Are they going to be overly competitive?’” Brookwood head coach Willie Hildebrand said. “But they are each other’s biggest cheerleaders.”
As Baylor’s chapter comes to a close and Collier’s continues, there’s another Stanton ready to begin one of his own. Their younger brother, Jude, will join the Broncos next year.
“Jude cannot wait to be a Brookwood swimmer,” said Amy. “He’s already looking at times, calculating, ‘Oh, I would have made that particular cut,’ or ‘I would have made that final.’”
While neither Amy or her husband Tyler swam at the club level, Amy is a high-level triathlete who has competed at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships and has completed an Ironman.
Baylor and Collier’s time on Brookwood together may be over, but the two will continue training and competing alongside one another at Gwinnett Aquatics for a few more months.
“I really love training with my brothers,” Baylor said. “Honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
While Baylor will trade out his Broncos swim cap for a Golden Bears one next year, Collier and Jude will continue the Stanton legacy at Brookwood.
“We’ve got four more years of Stantons,” said Hildebrand.
