Maggie Cheves and Sadie Buchanan: The Transition Into College and the Steps Along the Way

Sadie Buchanan running hurdles at a track meet. Photo Credit: Sydney Moretz, Watauga Yearbook

Maggie Cheves pictured in front of the Watauga County Recreation swimming pool.

Carrie Bradbury, Staff Writer to The Powderhorn

As many seniors at Watauga High School apply and commit to college, some students approach the application process with both an athletic and academic objective. Maggie Cheves and Sadie Buchanan have started their college journey with head coach interviews and official visits. While college is a large commitment for any student, being an athlete adds an additional layer of anticipation. 

Maggie Cheves started her journey with many schools in mind. She wanted to swim in college but didn’t want the pressure and stress of division one athletics.

“I toured a bunch of D2 schools,” said Cheves. “Lees McRae, Milligan, Emory, Henry, and Lenoir Rhyne.” 

Location was at the top of Cheves’s mind as she looked at schools in North Carolina and Tennessee. Finding the perfect spot is important to be able to have the best college experience.

While choosing a college, one specifically jumped out at Cheves, and quickly became her top choice. Catawba’s campus and team fit exactly what she was looking for, and was also the perfect distance from home. 

“I like a smaller school because it feels more personalized, personable and everyone was so nice, and the team was so encouraging of one another,” said Cheves.

The team and coach are vital for any sport to go smoothly. Cheves was unsure if she wanted to continue swimming in college until she talked to her high school coach. 

“I don't think that if I had had him as a coach, that I would have continued it in college,” said Cheves.

This made Catawba's coaching incredibly important for her decision. Overnight visits are common for high school students to go on while being recruited to specific colleges. 

“I went to most of them for an overnight visit, and I stayed in the dorms with the swimmers, and I met the coaches and got to watch them practice,” said Cheves.

Sadie Buchanan, senior, has also committed to college for athletics. The UNC Wilmington location was perfect for what she was looking for, in both location and team.

“I love the beach, I am not a mountain girl. I want to do marine biology and they have a really good program there. I have wanted to go there for 5 years,” said Buchanan.

The track team has been an important part of Buchanan's social life at the high school, so finding a team with a lively social environment was very important to her. 

“I decided to take a visit for track and the coaches were so nice,” said Buchanan. “The girls on the team were also nice. The girl that was hosting is going to be a senior and she literally talks to me every single day."