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A year after having announced a verbal pledge to Army West Point for 2022-23, Alyssa Heffelfinger from Waxhaw, North Carolina, has changed her commitment and will now attend West Virginia University in the fall.
A senior at Cuthbertson High School, Heffelfinger swims year-round with Mecklenburg Swim Association and specializes in mid-distance free, back, and IM. She wrapped up her prep career in February with an 11th-place finish in the 500 free (5:04.41) -a year after having placed third (5:00.88)- at the 2022 North Carolina High School 4A State Championships.
Heffelfinger had a big junior year of high school, dropping time left and right as she came out of quarantine and swam in her first 2021 meets. She also improved across the board in long course meters last summer, going best times in the LCM 50/200/400/800/1500 free, 100 back, and 100 breast.
So far in 2022, Heffelfinger has put up new times in the SCY 50/100/200 back and 100/200 fly, as well as the LCM 200 back and 400 IM. She is a Futures qualifier in the 500 free and 100/200 back, and her best SCY times, along with their year-over-year improvements, are as follows:
| PB 10th grade | PB 11th grade | PB 12th grade | |
| 200 IM | 2:10.81 | 2:08.80 | 2:08.74 |
| 400 IM | 4:36.24 | 4:30.98 | 4:30.98 |
| 100 back | 58.83 | 57.88 | 57.43 |
| 200 back | 2:08.04 | 2:04.07 | 2:03.19 |
| 200 free | 1:56.44 | 1:55.32 | 1:55.32 |
| 500 free | 5:08.78 | 5:00.57 | 5:00.57 |
| 1000 free | 10:38.52 | 10:15.64 | 10:15.64 |
| 1650 free | 17:46.51 | 17:28.94 | 17:28.94 |
She will join Makena Malkemus and Mia Cheatwood in the Mountaineers’ class of 2026.
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Great decision, Alyssa! Faster program and better academics!
Definitely not better academics, and mode of the road D1 times at best. This isnt much of an announcement