American East Conference

Escobedo Shines at NCAA Championships

3/22/2015 12:30:00 PM

America East Communications

GREENSBORO, N.C – Emily Escobedo of UMBC made history on Saturday at the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.  The sophomore, and two-time Most Outstanding Swimmer at the America East Championships, became the first ever UMBC Retriever to score at the national championship.

Escobedo placed 10^th in the 200-yard breaststroke prelims with a time of 2:08.95, qualifying her for the B finals that evening.  In the final race, the New Rochelle, New York native placed seventh, a 14^th overall finish, with a clocked in time of 2:09.32.

Earlier in the championship, Escobedo competed in the 200-yard IM, and placed 32^nd in the preliminaries.  Her time of 1:58.72 set a new America East record, breaking her own record, which she set at this year’s championship (1:59.10).

New Hampshire senior Katie Mann also swam at the 2015 NCAA Championships.  One day one, she swam in the 200 IM, placing 39^th with a time of 1:59.05.  Her pace would have been an America East Conference record if not for Escobedo besting her. 

On day two of the event, Mann partook in the 400-yard IM and finished the race in 4:12.10, sitting her in 30^th place.

In her third and final event of her collegiate career, Mann swam in the 200-yard breaststroke in a time of 2:12.20.

Courtesy of UNH Wildcats: Mann “concludes her collegiate career as the (New Hampshire Wildcats) program record holder in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.17 in 2014), 200-yard breaststroke (2:10.30 in 2014), 200-yard IM (1:58.78 in 2014) and 400-yard IM (4:09.40 in 2014). Furthermore, the three-time NCAA participant contributed to records in the 400-yard freestyle (3:41.88 in 2014) and 400-yard medley (3:22.55 in 2015) relays.”

Denise Leckenby was the first swimmer from the America East Conference to score at NCAA’s.  At the 1996 NCAA Championships at the University of Michigan, Leckenby earned All-America honors placing 8^th in the 200 Freestyle. She also placed 11^th in the 100 Freestyle earning enough points to put UNH in 27^th place in the team standings at the NCAA Championships that year.