Cobb Schools' Athlete of the Week (AOW) program is a weekly recognition of a male and a female student-athlete that perform at high levels in their sport, in the classroom, and in their school communities. The program is made possible by support from BSN Sports.

This week's AOW winners are a senior swimmer from Lassiter and a junior air rifle shooter from McEachern.

Aidan O'Brien, Lassiter, Swim

A four-year varsity swimmer, Aidan just finished up his senior regular season and is preparing for the county meet. He is a team captain, as well as one of the team's biggest cheerleaders. When not swimming for the Trojans, he swims for the Marietta Marlins, a local club team. He is also a leader in the classroom. He has a 4.596 GPA and plans to study Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. He is currently taking two Dual Enrollment classes at Georgia Tech, Multivariable Calculus and Computer Science, as well as three other AP classes at Lassiter.

"Aidan is an asset to the team in a variety of ways," said his coach Brittany Hughes. "He is an excellent swimmer, he takes his leadership role seriously, he shows up for every event, he is always encouraging his teammates, and he does a great job of including everyone from every grade. He has held team meetings with the boys before every meet to get them pumped up and this past weekend he expanded that to a full team meeting that included the girls."

"He has given his time, energy, and heart to the team this year. Not only is he at all the meets but he has done a tremendous job motivating the boys and leading the younger members. He is always willing to swim whatever event is best for the team. Swim and Dive will miss Aidan after this year," said Coach Hughes proudly.

Laura Zea, McEachern, Rifle

Now in her third year of high school shooting, Laura is helping the Indians overall with some high-level accuracy on the range. She recently shot her best match yet scoring a 280 out of a possible 300 points with 12 bullseyes. She shot a near perfect 99 with 8 bullseyes from prone position, an 88 with 2 bullseyes from standing, and a 93 with 2 bullseyes from kneeling. She is a leader in McEachern's JROTC program as well.

"She is this team’s MVP and consistently the high shooter on the team," said her coach Gunnery Sergeant Eddie Walker. "We don’t have a chance to make or compete in the state playoffs without her."

"Laura's leadership position in JROTC is a reflection of the quality of person she is. Her classmates respect her accomplishments, as do her teachers. She is a shining light and the Chief Warrant Officer and I can trust her to be in charge if we need to step away," Gunny Walker said about his Athlete of the Week.

Great job, Aidan and Laura! Both of you are great examples of what it takes to be an exceptional student-athlete in Cobb. Keep up the hard work. Thanks for teaching and supporting these students so well, Lassiter and McEachern!