WVU sophomore Mia Cheatwood made her mark as a host on an eventful first day of the Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships.
The Mountaineers welcomed seven women’s teams and four men’s teams on Tuesday for the first of five days of competition at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park. The meet features elite collegiate teams and swimmers, including WVU’s Olympic qualifier Ivan Puskovitch and the Texas Longhorns, who boast the No. 2 women’s team and No. 9 men’s team in the NCAA.
Despite a slate of mostly time trials and just five final rounds, day one set the tone for what is sure to be a high-level week of competition.
In time trials, Mia Cheatwood set her second school breaststroke record, pairing her previous 100 breaststroke school record with a new top time in the 200. Cheatwood completed the time trial in 2:09.8 to top the time of 2019 senior Emma Harris.
Record breaking continued in the day’s final rounds. The Texas Longhorns’ team of Kelly Pash, Erin Gemmell, Olivia Bray, and Angie Coe set the Aquatic Center record for the women’s 800-yard freestyle relay, topping Texas’s own 2020 record by nearly two seconds, with 6:57.87.
Texas won all five events Tuesday, earning gold medals in the men’s and women’s 800-yard freestyle relay, the men’s and women’s 200-yard medley relay, and the men’s team diving competition.
The Texas men’s success came without help from fifth year Jake Foster or junior Luke Hobson, who recently swam at the World Aquatics Championships. Foster and Hobson typically participate on the 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays respectively.
Without Foster, Texas’s all-freshman team of Will Modglin, Will Scholtz, Nate Germonprez, and Camden Taylor finished the 200-yard medley in 1:22.46, 1.95 seconds faster than the team’s season best. The performance ranks sixth best in the NCAA this season.
Earning the most silver medals in day one were the TCU Horned Frogs, who placed second in the women’s 200-yard medley relay, the men’s 800-yard freestyle relay, and the diving well. In total points, TCU is tied for second in the women’s competition and places second in the men’s.
Also receiving medals day one were Cincinnati, whose women’s team tied with TCU after switching silver and bronze medals in the two relays, BYU, who finished second in the men’s 200 medley relay and third in the diving well, and WVU, who placed third in the men’s 800 freestyle relay.
Earning the medal for the Mountaineers were seniors Danny Berlitz and Roanoke Shirk and sophomores Max Nielsen and Christian Simpson. Berlitz set a school record on the first leg of the relay, coming in at 1:35.55 to beat Shirk’s record from last season.
The Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships continue Wednesday Feb. 28 and through March 2. Wednesday preliminary rounds begin at 10 a.m. with 1m diving finals slated for a 5:15 p.m. start at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park. The finals will be broadcast through ESPN+ on Big 12 Now.
Photo from WVU Swimming & Diving
