“The 1st day of practice I hated it” Emily Escobedo Talks on Swimming

Emily Escobedo of UMBC didn’t start out loving the sport of swimming.

“The first day of practice I hated it and I got out crying… and I told my mom I was never gonna swim again.”

But she later joined a YMCA team and grew to love the sport enough to commit to it at the collegiate level.

Now a junior, Escobedo has competed at the NCAA championships all three years of her career. As a freshman, her highest finish came in the 200 breast, where she touched 32nd with a 2:11.15.

Her sophomore year, Escobedo shot up to the B final, finishing in a tie for 14th place with a 2:09.32 in finals. She was just off of her 2:08.95 done in prelims.

At the 2016 NCAA Champs at Georgia Tech, Escobedo dropped a 59.71 in prelims of the 100 breast and went on to finish 15th in that event. She then turned in the #2 time in prelims of the 200 breast and dropped several tenths in finals to touch 3rd overall with a 2:06.43.

You may not have heard her name or paid much attention to her before this weekend, but now you’d better start.