Emma Levendoski Completes NCAA Championships with 1:56.04 in 200 Backstroke

Saturday, March 21

Greensboro, N.C.

11:00 AM

Bucknell University

NCAA Championships

Emma Levendoski Completes NCAA Championships with 1:56.04 in 200 Backstroke

3/21/2015 1:39:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

By: TBD

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Bucknell junior Emma Levendoski (Mandeville, La./Mandeville) on Saturday wrapped up her trip to the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. The three-time First Team All-Patriot League selection and six-time conference champion posted a time of 1:56.04 in the 200-yard backstroke prelims, placing 44th overall.

A total of 54 competitors swam the event. Levendoski owns the school record in the 200 back (1:54.48). Elizabeth Pelton of California won the 200 back prelims in a time of 1:50.31.

"Emma had another solid showing today," commented Bison head coach Dan Schinnerer. "While it would have been nice to get a best time, she definitely represented herself and Bucknell very well at the championships. This has been a tremendous experience for Emma and I believe it will inspire her and our team to higher levels of achievement in the coming year."

The top 16 swimmers in the prelims advanced to Saturday evening's finals.

This was the second event Levendoski swam this weekend. She finished in a tie for 40th place in the 100 back on Friday.

The Bucknell and Patriot League record holder in both backstroke events, Levendoski is the first Bucknell swimmer – male or female – to earn an NCAA bid since Hall of Famer Jim Harvey in 1988, and she is the first Bison female to compete at the NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships.

This year's NCAA Championships are taking place at the Greensboro Aquatic Center and the host institution is North Carolina State. The three-day meet began on Thursday and concludes Saturday evening.

While Levendoski is the first Bison to qualify for the NCAA Division I Championships, the Bucknell women's swimming and diving program had a sustained string of excellence at AIAW national championship meets throughout the 1970s and early 1980s where its student-athletes combined to earn 30 All-America citations.