As a freshman, 2023 All-Big 12 First Team swimmer Mia Cheatwood turned heads at the Big 12 Championships in Austin, Texas. This year, at home, the rising star is expected to do it again.
Now a sophomore, Cheatwood has already cemented herself as one of the best breaststroke swimmers that WVU has ever seen. Cheatwood holds the fastest time in team history for the 100 breaststroke and ranks second in the record books for the 200.
At November’s WVU Invitational, Cheatwood showed she may continue to break her already-present program records in the coming years. Cheatwood broke her 100-yard breaststroke record at that invitational, clocking in at 1:00.53 in prelims before swimming a 1:00.46 race in the finals to win the event.
Also at the home event, Cheatwood set a personal best in the 200 IM with her first-ever sub-two-minute time. She finished second in the invitational and fifth in the WVU record books.
Translating this level of performance from the WVU Invitational to the Big 12 Championships may seem unlikely, but for Cheatwood, a record-breaking day is certainly a possibility.
Last season, in Austin, Cheatwood placed in three events as a freshman. A 1:00.6 time in the 100-yard breaststroke finals put Cheatwood in fourth place in the conference. She earned the same placement with a 2:10.41 final time in the 200. Cheatwood also placed eighth in the 200 IM finals.
As previously established, each time, in each event, has only lowered for Cheatwood on average between her freshman and sophomore seasons. Her ability to shine at one of the biggest stages last year bodes well for her ability to compete at an even higher level, as a better swimmer, this year.
Having already competed in two different national championships as a freshman, Cheatwood’s status as one of the Big 12’s top women’s swimmers may be seen for seasons to come.
Her early success at the collegiate level has transferred across to the rest of the young Mountaineers, as well. She was a member of the relay team with WVU’s all-time best times, sharing the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay records with fellow sophomore Ada Szwabinska, who also appears in the individual record books as one of the program’s greatest freestyle swimmers to date.
The young Mountaineers, led by Cheatwood, host the 2024 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships starting Tuesday, February 27 at 10 a.m. EST and going through Saturday, March 2 at The Aquatic Center at Mylan Park.
Photo from WVU Swimming & Diving
