ATLANTA, Ga. – Penn State swimming's Marie Schobel completed her two NCAA races in the 100 and 200 back on Friday and Saturday morning at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
In the 100 back Schobel set a new school record to place 23rd. Her time of 52.13 is 0.06 seconds faster than the previous record, held by Mackenzie Powers since 2014.
This morning in the 200 back, Schobel finished 45th (1:55.95).
Marie Schobel's Four Years at Penn State
Her performance in the 200 back also concludes her senior year of swimming for the Nittany Lions.
Freshman Year
Her first year as a Nittany Lion was highlighted by a Big Ten Women's Swimming & Diving Freshman of the Week award, first places against George Washington and personal bests at the Big Ten Championships.
Against George Washington, Schobel swept the backstroke events and swam in the winning 200-medley relay. Her impressive performance as a first-year student caught the attention of the Big Ten and earned her their freshman of the week award.
Later that season at the Big Ten Championships, Schobel set seasons in the 100 back (54.63) and the 200 back (1:59.16).
Sophomore Year
Her sophomore season was capped by academic and athletic awards from the CSCAA and the Big Ten, final appearances at our conference championships and an invite to the NCAA Championship meet.
During the regular season Schobel swept the 100 and 200 back at three meets, winning the pair of events against West Virginia, Buffalo and Villanova.
At the Big Ten Championships that year, Schobel placed ninth in the 100 (52.69) and 200 back (1:55.06). Her swims earned her an invite to the NCAA Championships that would later be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
And for her performance as an athlete and as a student, Schobel earned the CSCAA All-American and Scholar All-American honors, the title of Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and the Academic All-Big Ten award.
Junior Year
In her third year as a Nittany Lion Schobel made her first appearance at the NCAA Championships and swam in the a finals at the Big Ten Championships.
Her regular season highlights included wins in the 100 and 200 back against Rutgers, Ohio State and Michigan State.
And she shone in the post season at the Big Ten Championships, swimming in the championship final in the 100 back and placing sixth. She also scored in the 200 back and the 100 fly, finishing 14th and 20th.
At the NCAA Championships that year, Schobel swam both backstroke events, earning season bests in the 100 (52.66) and 200 (1:56.17) and placing 22nd and 39th against the best collegiate swimmers in America.
Senior Year
As a senior Penn State swimmer, Schobel competed in the championships finals on the B1G stage and broke an eight year record in the 100 back at the NCAA Championships.
She swept the backstroke events in the regular season against Navy, West Virginia and Villanova. Schobel also impressed at the NC State invitational, swimming in the A-final to place fifth overall in the 200 back (1:54.41) and winning the B-final to earn ninth in the 100 back (52.92).
At Big Tens this year, Schobel swam in the championship finals in both the 100 and 200 backstroke, earning fifth (1:54.37) in the 200 and sixth in the 100 (52.48). She also broke Penn State's school record in the 200-medley relay (1:36.79).
Her record-breaking performance in the 100 back (52.13) and her swim in the 200 back (1:55.95) at the NCAA Championships concludes her season.
In her four years at Penn State Schobel has proven herself as an exceptional student athlete. She finishes her senior season as the record holder in the 100 back (52.13) and the third fastest 200 backstroker (1:54.37) for the Nittany Lions.
Next Up
Six Penn State men's swimmers will compete at the NCAA Championships from Wednesday March 23 through Saturday March 26 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
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.
