Mariia Astashkina

Mariia Astashkina listens to the coaching staff

Photo by: Mooreshots LLC

Class:
Graduate Student
Position:
Breaststroke
Hometown:
Moscow, Russia

Senior: Did not compete during the 2020-21 season.

Junior: Astashkina picked up right where she left off after her stellar sophomore season, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke before the meet was cancelled. At the ACC Championships, she finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke (59.98), seventh in the 200 breaststroke (2:09.87), and 14th in the 200 individual medley (1:59.33), while also racing on the Cardinals’ third-place 200 medley relay. In the dual meet season, Astaskina racked up 12 top-four finishes and won the 100 breaststroke (1:01.39) against Kentucky. She also earned silver in both breaststroke races at the SMU Classic, won both of those events at the Purdue Invitational, and finished seventh in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:29.05) at the Toyota U.S. Open. For her performances in both the pool and in the classroom, Astashkina was named to the All-ACC Academic Team and awarded ACC Honor Roll and CSCAA Scholar All-America honors. She was also named to the CSCAA All-American team in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, and 200 medley relay.

Sophomore: Astashkina qualified for her second consecutive NCAA Championships as a sophomore, competing in both the 100 and 200 breast. She also was a member of the Cards’ All-American fifth place 400 medley relay team. At the ACC Championships, Astashkina registered a pair of top-eight finishes in the 100 (1:00.12) and 200 breast (2:09.30), with a top-finish of fourth in the 200 distance. She also competed on the Cards’ fourth-place 200 medley relay team. At the IU Invitational, Astashkina recorded top-eight finishes in both the 100 and 200 breast and took 18th in the 200 IM. She also put together a strong performance at the SMU Classic, recording a pair of second place finishes in the 200 breast and 200 IM and taking third in the 100 breast. Throughout the dual meet season, Astashkina earned six victories in the breaststroke events, highlighted by sweeps in the wins over Tennessee and Missouri. For her efforts in the classroom, Astashkina earned a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team.

Freshman: Astashkina made an immediate impact for Louisville in her freshman season as a four-time All-American, allowing her to be honored as the ACC Women’s Freshman of the Year. At NCAAs, she scored 12 individual points for Louisville, placing 10th in the 100 breast (59.29) and 12th in the 200 breast (2:08.11). Astashkina was a member of the Cards’ record-breaking 400 medley relay squad, splitting a 58.42 in the breaststroke leg to help Louisville to a fourth place finish. She also swam breaststroke in the fifth place 200 medley relay, registering a 27.01 split. At ACCs, Astashkina brought home the gold in the 200 breast (2:09.01), while also taking seventh in the 100 distance (1:00.76). She also scored points in the 200 IM at ACCs, finishing 14th in a time of 1:59.19. At the Winter National Championships, she scored 45 points for the Cards and took bronze in the 200 IM with a lifetime best time of 1:57.06. At the TYR Pro Swim Series in Columbus, she captured the bronze medal in the 200-meter breast (2:27.87) and took fourth in the 100-meter breast (1:09.38). She also recorded multiple wins throughout the dual meet season, capturing the 100 breast title against both Notre Dame and Tennessee, along with the 200 breast title against the Vols. For her performances both in the pool and in the classroom, Astashkina was named to the All-ACC Academic Team.

Prep: Mariia hails from Moscow, Russia, where she was a member of the Russian National Team. Under the guidance of her coach, Yuri Tyukankin, she competed in the 2015 World Championships, 2015 European Championships, and the 2017 Russia National Championships. Mariia’s best time in her signature event, the 200 breast, is 2:23.06.

Personal: Daughter of Alexey and Elena Astashhina. Born on April 5,1999.