UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State senior Maddie Hart and sophomore Marie Schobel were both invited to the 2020 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships Wednesday by the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee.
The championships will be held March 18-21 in Athens, Georgia at the Ramsey Center on the University of Georgia campus.
Hart is making her second appearance in NCAA Championships while Schobel will make her first.
Hart will be competing in the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 100 butterfly at NCAA Championships and is officially ranked at 35th, 26th, and 16th, respectively. The senior from Bryn Mawr, Pa. has had a successful final season of her career with personal bests in three races and a school record in the 200 back (1:53.37). Her senior season swims also earned her the fifth-fastest time in the 100 back (52.71) in Penn State history and second fastest in the 100 fly (51.64); all NCAA B-Cut times.
At this year's Big Ten Championships, Hart broke the school record in the 200 back with a fourth place finish in addition to placing third in the 100 fly and sixth in the 100 back (52.78). Hart's record-breaking performance made her the team's top scorer at the meet, scoring 76.5 points for the Nittany Lions. Hart also earned an Olympic Trials cut time in the 100 fly (59.09) at the Phillips 66 Nationals meet during summer 2019.
The 2019 NCAA Championships ended well for Hart, placing 25th in the 200 fly (1:56.26) with a personal best and the fourth-fastest time in Penn State history after qualifying for NCAAs in the 100 back and 100 fly as well.
Schobel is set to compete in her first NCAA Championship meet in the 100 back (34th) along with Hart. The sophomore from Sea Girt, N.J. is one of the team's best backstrokers as she ranks fourth-fastest all-time for Penn State in the 100 back (52.69) and second all-time in the 200 back (1:55.06).
Schobel earned an NCAA bid in the 100 back with her ninth place finish at Big Ten Championships in addition to earning ninth place in the 200 back, totaling 40 points for Penn State and B-Cut times in both races.
Swimmers qualified for the championships by meeting the established minimum time for the events in which they entered.
Divers will be determined by performances at the NCAA Zone Diving Meets held Mar. 9-11 in Morgantown, W. Va. The selected divers will be announced on Mar. 15.
Check GoPSUSports.com for coverage of the Penn State swimming and diving teams during the season. Follow the team on Twitter at @PennStateSWIM, on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstateswimminganddiving, and Instagram on @pennstateswimdive.
