Jameson Mitchum - Women's Swim & Dive

CLAREMONT, Calif. - There were a lot of big performers for the CMS swimming and diving teams this weekend as the Athenas and Stags swept the two titles, and first-year Jameson Mitchum was certainly one of them, trimming 1.4 seconds off the school record in the 200 back to win her first career SCIAC gold.

Mitchum, who didn't compete until January while nursing an injury in the fall semester, far exceeded her seed expectations coming into the SCIACs on her way to contributing to two relay wins, and a first, second and fourth-place finish in her three individual events. The 200 back was her signature performance, as she came in seeded fifth in the league after the regular season results, but dominated with a win by a three-second margin, setting a SCIAC meet record with a 2:00.70 (breaking the old record of 2:02.19, and the old school record of 2:02.10 that had held for 10 years since Tessa Dover set it in 2010. Her time now ranks her eighth in the nation in Division III, putting her in the hunt for All-America honors at nationals next month. 

In addition to her 200 back title, Mitchum also came in second in the 100 back with a 56.31 after coming in seeded 12th. She also swam a full second faster in the finals than she did in the prelims (57.35) on her way to a runner-up finish. Her performance in the 100-yard butterfly just missed the podium as she swam a 56.56, but it added 17 more points to the CMS total, giving her 58 points total in her three events, a figure ranking close behind Augusta Lewis (66), the repeat SCIAC Swimmer of the Year, Ella Blake (63), the SCIAC Newcomer of the Year, and Ava Sealander (59) for the highest on the team. 

Mitchum also swam the backstroke leg of both medley relays, helping both to first place finishes, as she earned All-SCIAC distinction in four events in her first conference championship.

CMS will head to the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Greensboro, N.C. next month with a chance to earn significant points.