For Heritage swimmer, scholarship is step toward Olympics

For Davie’s Cathy Cooper, landing a college scholarship for swimming at San Diego State University was an early birthday present.

The senior at American Heritage School in Plantation turns 18 next month, and signing with the Aztecs program was a no-brainer.

“They have my major in international business; they are one of the best schools in the country for that,” said Cooper, who signed her letter of intent just days after winning a Class 2A state high school swimming championship. “Everything I was looking for in coaches and a swim program was [in San Diego], and they were open-minded in letting me swim internationally for Panama.”

Cooper toured the campus and verbally committed on Sept. 27. She said the quick decision to attend San Diego State University enabled her to relax through her high-school season and not stress over colleges.

Cooper won the girls 50-yard freestyle and took third place in the 100-yard freestyle this year at the Sailfish Splashpark Aquatic Athletics Center in Stuart.

“I went to states this year to enjoy the moment and have fun with it and I ended up winning,” Cooper said. “Signing [day] was just the glory moment of senior year for me. That was super important for me.”

She is now looking forward to diving into the next chapter of her career with the Aztecs.

“Honestly, I would compare [signing] to winning states or going to the world championships in Budapest like I did this past summer,” said Cooper, who was also recently named a scholastic All-American. “That was such a big goal. I put in so much time and so much hard work to get to Budapest that when I was finally there, that moment was amazing. It was surreal.”

Cooper dabbled in several sports growing up, including soccer and karate, but said swimming was her ultimate choice. She started swimming at age 4 and is a member of the Fort Lauderdale-based Swim Fort Lauderdale club team.

The nearly 14 years in the sport has been a step-bystep process and she keeps hitting her goals.

“It is so, so worth it,” she said. “Now I am gearing up to hopefully compete in the Tokyo Olympics in two years.”

Sportscom5@aol.com — Cathy Cooper, American Heritage School senior

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CARLOS COOPER Left, Davie’s Cathy Cooper, a senior at American Heritage School, swims for the win in the girls 50-yard freestyle event at the Class 2A state championship tournament in Stuart. Above, Cooper shows off the gold medal she won. She recently signed her...