Emily Escobedo

Early life

Escobedo was born the older of two siblings to Peter and Ginny Escobedo in New Rochelle, New York. She had a younger sister, Katie. Graduating in 2013, she attended Maria Regina High School, a Catholic college-prep school in Hartsdale, Westchester County, where in her Senior year she was President of the Student Council. Though her High School had a strong academic program, it had no swim team, so she swam for progressively more demanding club programs from an early age. Beginning competitive swimming at 5, Escobedo swam for New Rochelle's Davenport Beach Club. By six, she represented the White Plains YMCA's Riptides team. She moved to the Condor Swim Club around age 12.

2012 Olympic trials

As a High School upperclassman, Escobedo qualified and attended the late June U.S. 2012 Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska, where she competed in the 200 breaststroke, having qualified at the 2011 Long Course Nationals. Though she advanced to the semi-final round, she did not make the finals.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Escobedo attended the University of Maryland from 2013-2017, where she excelled and swam each of her four collegiate years in the NCAA Championships. She graduated with a Psychology degree with Cum Laude Honors around 2017. At U. Maryland Baltimore County, she was coached by Chad Cradock, who coached the women's team from 2001-2020. Cradock's program helped drop her times, by improving her technique, and comitting to a well-focused weight training program. In both 2016 and 2017, during Escobedo's tenure, Coach Cradock let Maryland to American East Conference Championships. In both 2016 and 2017, she placed third nationally in the 200 breaststroke. In the 200 IM, she was a recipient of Honorable Mention All American honors.

She was the first America East swimming competitor to receive the Swimmer of the Year award on four separate occasions and led Maryland to league titles in three successive years. She has held five U. Maryland Baltimore County individual school records, and contributed to top times in four University of Maryland relay teams. An able scholar, she was a College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar twice. She was the first University of Maryland Baltimore County swimmer to compete for the USA Swimming national team, and at the Abu Dhabi FINA World Swimming Championships, placed first in the 200-meter breaststroke.

Professional swimming

In 2020, Escobedo had a third placed global ranking in the 200-meter breaststroke, and had swum for the professional International Swimming League's New York Breakers in Budapest, Hungary for two years. She had plans to train for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and make the U.S. team in the 200 meter breaststroke, though her chances were limited by American rivals Lilly King and Annie Lazor, who both had faster times in the event.

Education and career goals

In 2020, having graduated the University of Maryland Baltimore County around 2017, she took graduate courses at Lehman College, working towards a Masters Degree in Special Education and Early Childhood Education.