2019 US Open (Emily Escobedo)
Women’s 200 Breast
Emily Escobedo scored yet another upset at the 2019 US Open with a win in the 200 breaststroke over Lilly King with a 2:22.00, lowering her own best time of 2:22.8 from this summer’s World University Games.
Escobedo moved herself up to seventh in the world rankings for the 200 breast and fourth in the United States. Emily Escobedo graduated from UMBC in the spring of 2017 and has been quietly becoming one of the best breaststrokers in the United States. She was second at the World University Games in this event this summer and is a dark horse to make the Olympic Team in 2020, competing alongside King, Annie Lazor and Bethany Galat.
Escobedo on her swim: “I was really happy with it. That was actually a new personal best time by a little bit, so it’s a really good place to be right now.”
On expectations coming into meet: “I didn’t have many, I was hoping to throw down some pretty good swims as an indicator of where we are this season. I definitely wanted to be pretty close to some best times, I definitely wasn’t thinking of going best times though, so I’m happy with it.”
King finished in second here with a 2:22.63 ahead of Annie Lazor (2:23.25) as those two were the top swimmers in the US in 2019 in the 200 breaststroke, with Lazor winning the Pan American Games. King was the favorite to win at the World Championships but was disqualified for a non-simultaneous touch in the heats, losing an opportunity to win her first medal in the 200 at either the Worlds or Olympics. She remains fourth in the world for the 2019 calendar year while Lazor is in second.
Melanie Margalis had a successful meet in Atlanta with a 2:25.92 for fourth here. She swam a new best time in the 200 IM on Thursday night and also won the 400 IM on Friday night. She finished ahead of 2018 national champ Micah Sumrall (2:27.61) and Indiana’s Laura Morley (2:28.38).
Results:
- 2:22.00, Emily Escobedo, USA, MR (seventh in world for 2019 calendar year)
- 2:22.63, Lilly King, USA
- 2:23.25, Annie Lazor, USA
- 2:25.92, Melanie Margalis, USA
- 2:27.61, Micah Sumrall, USA
- 2:28.38, Laura Morley, BAH
- 2:29.05, Mariia Astashkina, RUS
- 2:30.71, Rachel Bernhardt, USA
