Emily Escobedo added another accolade to her collection when she took the pool record at Towson University for the 200 free style. Escobedo also won in the 500 and 1000 free style, much to the joy of swimming and diving coach Chad Cradock.
“We are proud of Emily for breaking the pool record. It shows how well she is swimming at this point in the season and we are excited to see her grow and progress going forward,” said Cradock.
The senior swimmer is continuing to build upon a great career with the Retrievers that she’s still keen to continue to improve. Swimming and diving has prioritized growth during this offseason and Escobedo made sure to take note of the team’s growth as a whole. The team has even started a new weightlifting program that the team as a whole is benefiting from
This is the first time the UMBC athletics department worked this program into the team. Neil Wittmer has taken on the role of new weightlifting coach. His help is evidenced by Escobedo. Escobedo had high words of praise for the new program as “really awesome,” as it has made them stronger both physically and aerobically.
During her fourth and final year swimming for the Retrievers, Escobedo is making sure to emphasize her great connection with her team over this time.
“Every year, conferences are the best memory. It’s just the girls, but it’s such a fun time and all the girls and we’re all excited for for our competition and it’s such a fun time,” said Escobedo, the three time NCAA participant. “There are 70 some people on this team who support me and we support each other,” Escobedo had to say concerning her success.
Breaking the pool record at Towson also proved to be a big deal for Escobedo because it perfectly symbolized the progress she has made this past year.
“It was awesome! It means I am definitely faster than I was at this time last year and that’s all you can ask for. I really worked a lot on changing my strokes and perfecting my technique and hopefully that’ll pay off,” said Escobedo on breaking the record.
These changes will definitely come into play as Escobedo’s goals this season purely come down to dropping down her time during the competitions and she is excited to get this opportunity. This comes into the team’s goal, which is built on UMBC’s motto to “be your best self.” The team motto this year is “embrace the process” and to Escobedo that comes down to practicing every day and a better person.
Emily Escobedo has had a wonderful career swimming for UMBC and due to her strong emphasis on personal growth and challenging herself, she is sure to only get better during her senior year.
