FIU Athletics

Career Individual Top Times: 
50 Free: 24.94 (11/03/17)
100 Free: 52.05 (11/21/19)
200 Free: 1:56.70 (11/03/17)
500 Free: 4:56.55 (2/22/18)
1000 Free: 10:44.39 (10/6/18)
1200 Free: 12:36.40 (10/19/19)
50 Breast: 31.29 (10/19/19)
100 Breast: 1:05.16 (2/26/20)
200 Breast: 2:19.86 (2/26/20)
50 Back: 25.59 (3/18/20)
50 Fly: 27.15 (9/27/17)
100 Fly: 57.31 (2/23/18)
200 Fly: 2:04.43 (11/16/17)
100 IM: 1:01.92 (1/5/19)
200 IM: 2:05.54 (2/26/20)
400 IM: 4:27.73 (11/15/18)

2019-20 (Junior): At the National Invitational Championships (3/12) she recorded a career best in the 50 Back with a time of 25.59...At the C-USA Championships, posted a 9th place finish in the A final of the 200 Breast (2:19.86), which also marks as a personal best...Landed in seventh during the B final of the 200 IM (2:05.54) marking a career best...Logged another personal best mark at the Purdue Invite (11/21) after tapping at 52.05 in the 100 Free...Placed sixth in the 200 IM (2:09.70) and eighth in the 400 IM (4:39.34) and fifth in the 200 Breast (2:24.95) against Power 5 schools Miami and Illinois (11/1)...Took a pair of Top-5 finishes against Miami (9/28) tapped fifth in the 200 Free with a time of 1:59.68 and fifth in the 200 Breast (2:29.26)...Opened the season against Florida (9/28) placing fourth in the 200 Breast (2:32.17) and eighth in the 200 Free (2:00.00).

2018-19 (Sophomore):  Participated at the 2019 C-USA Championships (2/27)...Placed in the top-20 during the preliminary rounds of the 400 IM with a time of (4:39.58)...During the 500 Free preliminary round she placed 26th with a time of 5:09.97...Opened up the season against Miami (9/29) tallying a sixth place finish in during the 500 Free (5:24.57) and later picked up seventh place finish during the 200 Free (1:59.93)...Picked up a career best time in the 1000 Free against FGCU/UNF (10/6), when she tapped at 10:44.39...Competed in the 100 Free only once this season which resulted in seventh place finish (55.66) at the FIU Sprint Invite (1/5)...Recorded two top-five finishes Against CCSU (1/12), placed third in the 500 Free (5:23.30) and fourth during the 200 IM (2:14.64) which marks as a new career best...

2017-18 (Freshman): Competed at the C-USA Conference Championship in Atlanta, placed 18th in the 100 Fly and 19th in the 500 Free…Against UNF/GSU (10/7) she individually placed in the top-ten in three different relays; 2nd- 200 Free, 4th- 100 Fly and 6th- 50 Free…Placed 7th against Rice (10/27) in the 100 Fly with a time of 59.38…Notched a 4th place finish in the 200 Fly against Tulane (10/28)…Against Denver (10/28)  the Freshman finished 6th in the 200 Fly with a time of 2:09.81…Clinched a 3rd place finish against Illinois (11/3) with a time of 2:06.61…Registered a season best  in the 200 Fly at the Purdue Invitational (11/16), with a time of 2:04.70…Achieved 3rd place in the 1000 Free on two separate occasions; against GS (12/14) and then against FAU (2/3)…Finished  8th at the FIU Sprint (1/5) in the 100 Fly with a time of 1:01.85…At  FGCU (1/27), placed 4th in the 200 Fly…Closed out her rookie season with a top-ten finish against FAU (2/3) in the 100 Fly.

Prior to FIU: Coached by Tina Vida … Qualified for Mexican Nationals for her age group in the 200 free and 200 Fly… Qualified and was a member of the Mexican Junior National Team… Was a finalist at the Centro-American games in Merida, Mexico… Has been a nominee for Athlete of the Year in her home state multiple times… Cantu has earned several age group national titles.
 
Personal: Parents – Patricia Villanueva and Cesar Cantu… Siblings – Younger Sister Ofelia and Older Brother Cesar… currently majoring in International Business... Enjoys being with her friends, drawing, reading, and watching movies when she is not in the pool.