A Howard University student is headed to the Olympics. Latroya Pina and her siblings, Troy and Jayla, will compete as members of the Cape Verde National Swim Team in the 2020 Summer Olympics, reports HUBison.com. They will also swim in the Confederation Africaine de Natation Championship Meet in early September.
"It's not far-fetched, three members of one family all going to the World Championships and the Olympic Games," Pina said. "We're not just swimming for our colleges or schools, but for a nation, so we want to do our best." According to WUSA9, Howard University is the only HBCU with a swim team. Additionally, Pina’s team is the first one from Cape Verde, a nation off of the northwest coast of Africa. Pina swims in multiple categories including the 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter breaststroke. She is a senior biology major, and her academics are just as impressive as her athleticism. Pina’s grade point average stays at 3.6 or higher. She's also a member of the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Commissioner's All-Academic Team and 2018 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Spring President's Honor Roll List.