UWM's Emily McClellan Wraps up Junior Season with Strong Showing at NCAA Championships

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee swimmer Emily McClellan scored in two different events at the 2013 NCAA Championships at the IUPUI Natatorium to wrap up her junior season.

McClellan kicked off her third NCAA Championships with a bang, breaking her own UWM and Horizon League record in the 200 Individual Medley Thursday afternoon winning her heat with a time of 1:59.26, breaking her own school and league record.

On the second night of competition, McClellan finished second in the consolation finals of the 100 breaststroke. She posted a season-best time of 59.33 in her finals to finish second in her race. She finished 10th overall in the country, earning Milwaukee seven points. This marks the first time the Panthers have ever scored at the NCAA Championships and equals the highest any Horizon League swimmer or team, men or women, has ever finished at the national meet.

She finished the meet taking 12th overall in the 200 breaststroke to earn Honorable-Mention All-American honors for the second-straight night after taking fourth in her race and 12th overall with a season-best time of 2:09.10. In the morning prelims, she won her heat with a then-season-best time of 2:09.75.

"I'm so happy that I made it back to finals these past two nights," McClellan said. "It is such an honor to be named All American and I am really happy with how everything went this week."

Milwaukee finished the NCAA Championships with 12 points; good enough for 32nd place in the nation. That marks the most points ever scored by a Horizon League team at the national meet, men or women.

"We were a lot better the third time around," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Clements said. "I think Emily said `third time's a charm.' She came in with a lot more experience and she's a much more seasoned swimmer than she has been in the past and it definitely showed up.

"She swam season-best times in all of her events and that is what we needed her to do. She scored 10th and 12th - amazing, absolutely amazing. To get 12 points on the board for us and to finish in the top 35 in the nation is awesome. That's a tribute to her and the people we have around her and the team in general of where we are and where we are going."

Saturday's swim caps another outstanding season for McClellan that saw her post two NCAA automatic qualifying times, 10 NCAA B-cut times, break two UWM and Horizon League records, two Klotsche records and numerous opponent school records. She also earned Horizon League Women's Swimmer of the Year for the third straight year and won all three of her events at the Horizon League Championships for the third-straight year.
(Release couresty of Tim Prahl, Milwaukee Athletics)