Cherie Swarthout (left) is pictured at the Hall of Fame ceremony in 2011 when the state finalist Lady Panther team she played on in 1986 was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
has C-S connection this year
By Bruce Rolfe
The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament that got underway last week has a Climax connection.
For the first time in program history, Queens University of Charlotte (#15 seed) made the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, facing Purdue Boilermakers (#2 seed) in the West Region March 20 that Purdue won 104-71.
Cherie Swarthout, a 1987 graduate of Climax-Scotts High School and daughter of the late Wes and Sandra Swarthout of Climax, is the director of athletics at Queens University of Charlotte.
The Royals (21-13) secured their historic “Big Dance” berth by winning the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference Tournament with a 98-93 overtime victory over Central Arkansas on March 8, 2026. This milestone occurred in the very first year they were eligible for the postseason, following a shortened reclassification period from Division Il to Division I.
Cherie Swarthout is the third person to lead Queens Athletics after being named the director of athletics in May of 2016.
Swarthout was promoted to her new role after wrapping her 10th season with the Royals and serving as the interim athletic director during the spring semester of 2016. In the summer of 2020 Swarthout began serving as a member of the University’s senior leadership team, and in May 2025, she was named one of 25 winners of the WFAE EQUALibrium Award.
As the department’s leader, Swarthout has overseen sustained growth across all revenue areas-including individual philanthropy, corporate sponsorships, rental income, and the development of key partnerships that enhance the student-athlete and staff experience. This growth has consistently averaged 25% or more annually in recent years.
Swarthout has encouraged her team of coaches to challenge their student-athletes to excel in the classroom, in the community, and in competition. With the importance of academics continually stressed, the Queens student-athletes have not wavered in their performance posting a 3.0 grade point average or higher for 14 consecutive seasons.
The Royals posted a 3.45 grade point average during the 2023 fall semester to make it their best semester in the classroom to date and have consistently been above a 3.3 cumulative GPA since 2019. At the end of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, the Royals recorded a program best 3.45 GPA.
The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament that got underway last week has a Climax connection.
For the first time in program history, Queens University of Charlotte (#15 seed) made the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, facing Purdue Boilermakers (#2 seed) in the West Region March 20 that Purdue won 104-71.
Cherie Swarthout, a 1987 graduate of Climax-Scotts High School and daughter of the late Wes and Sandra Swarthout of Climax, is the director of athletics at Queens University of Charlotte.
The Royals (21-13) secured their historic “Big Dance” berth by winning the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference Tournament with a 98-93 overtime victory over Central Arkansas on March 8, 2026. This milestone occurred in the very first year they were eligible for the postseason, following a shortened reclassification period from Division Il to Division I.
Cherie Swarthout is the third person to lead Queens Athletics after being named the director of athletics in May of 2016.
Swarthout was promoted to her new role after wrapping her 10th season with the Royals and serving as the interim athletic director during the spring semester of 2016. In the summer of 2020 Swarthout began serving as a member of the University’s senior leadership team, and in May 2025, she was named one of 25 winners of the WFAE EQUALibrium Award.
As the department’s leader, Swarthout has overseen sustained growth across all revenue areas-including individual philanthropy, corporate sponsorships, rental income, and the development of key partnerships that enhance the student-athlete and staff experience. This growth has consistently averaged 25% or more annually in recent years.
Swarthout has encouraged her team of coaches to challenge their student-athletes to excel in the classroom, in the community, and in competition. With the importance of academics continually stressed, the Queens student-athletes have not wavered in their performance posting a 3.0 grade point average or higher for 14 consecutive seasons.
The Royals posted a 3.45 grade point average during the 2023 fall semester to make it their best semester in the classroom to date and have consistently been above a 3.3 cumulative GPA since 2019. At the end of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, the Royals recorded a program best 3.45 GPA.
Additionally, Queens consistently invests back into its community in a variety of ways to make a consistent impact. “Not be served, but to serve,” is embraced by the Royals student-athletes as they bested their 7,000 hours in 2022-23 and recorded over 8,000 to set a new program record during the 2024-25 season.
At C-S, Swarthout scored 1,792 career points and grabbed 1,095 rebounds. She averaged 29 points and 13.1 rebounds a game as a senior. She also scored 812 points her senior year, which tied a state record: was a candidate for Miss Basketball, awarded to Michigan’s top senior girls’ basketball player; was a first team all-state Class D selection as a junior and senior; was a threc-time member of the SJV All-Conference team and was the league’s most valuable player.
She and her Lady Panther teammates advanced to the 1986 Class D state finals game where the team was defeated by Peck, 72-58.
Swarthout went on to play four years at Michigan State University, was an assistant women’s basketball coach at Illinois State University for 10 years and she was assistant athletic director at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina before securing her current role as director of athletics at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina in 2016.
Having led the Queens Athletic Department since 2016, Swarthout is widely credited as the architect of the school’s successful transition to Division I and its historic 2026 NCAA Tournament appearance.
The AD’s Role in the Tournament Run
Swarthout’s influence on the program’s current success is significant and multi-layered:
• Strategic Move to Division I: Swarthout was the primary driver of the university’s decision to jump from Division II to Division I in 2022. She specifically accelerated the timeline to stay ahead of potential NCAA constitutional changes, essentially “blowing up” existing schedules to join the ASUN Conference.
• Fast-Tracking Eligibility: Under her leadership, Queens successfully completed a strenuous reclassification process in just three years instead of the standard four. This early promotion to “active” status made the team eligible for the 2026 postseason one year ahead of schedule.
• Hiring and Supporting Leadership: She hired head coach Grant Leonard and recently secured him with a five-year contract extension, providing the stability and resources necessary for the program to thrive at the DI level.
Swarthout has overseen a department where revenue has grown by an average of 25% annually.
She has focused on “building a better infrastructure” to support DI athletes, including enhanced creative services for ESPN+ broadcasts and expanded sports medicine programs.
• Personal Resilience: Swarthout’s leadership has been particularly inspiring to the Queens community as she has continued to lead the department while battling a rare form of cancer since 2024.
Background
Swarthout joined the Queens Department of Athletics in 2006, spending a year as the sports information director and sports complex site coordinator. In a year’s time, she was promoted to assistant athletic director for external operations while still holding the sports complex site coordinator responsibilities. As the university and department grew, Swarthout shifted her leadership from the sports complex to the athletic communications department in 2007, serving as the assistant athletic director for external operations and athletic communications until 2014. In 2015, she was promoted to associate athletic director. Swarthout also served as the senior woman administrator from 2013 until being named the director of athletics in 2016.
Prior to joining the Royals, Swarthout was an assistant basketball coach at Illinois State University for 10 years working for the legendary Dr. Jill Hutchison in her first six. She also worked in private business during the time between leaving the Redbirds and joining the Royals.
Swarthout earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health from Michigan State University where she played basketball helping lead her team to the first NCAA tournament bid in school history her senior year. She has two master’s degrees, one from Illinois State University in sports psychology and athletic administration; and a second from Queens in organizational development. Additionally, Swarthout holds an executive coaching certificate from Queens.
Swarthout has been engaged in community leadership roles throughout her tenure at Queens including board positions with the Charlotte Business Guild, Michigan State Alumni National Board, and Girls On The Run. In addition to having served as board chair with the local MSU Charlotte Alumni Club and Myers Park Baptist Through The Week School, she has served as a deacon at Myers Park Baptist Church, an at-large member of Elizabeth Community Association, and a member of the D2ADA Board of Directors. In 2015, she was a member of Leadership Charlotte Class of 37.
Swarthout has two daughters, Mattison and Zuri.
(Some information in this article was provided by the Queens University of Charlotte Athletic Department)
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