Astrid Escobar Named New Swim & Dive Coach At Berry College

Courtesy: Berry Athletics

MOUNT BERRY, Ga. – With a wide knowledge of the sport and of the Southern Athletic Association, Astrid Escobar has been named the new Head Coach of Berry’s Men’s and Women’s Swim and Dive programs. The announcement was made by Berry Director of Athletics Dr. Angel Mason this afternoon.

“Astrid is a tremendous young coach with a passion for swimming that is matched by few,” said Dr. Mason. “She is someone I believe will have a positive impact on our swim and dive student-athletes experience and on the athletic department in general.”

“I’m excited for the opportunity to join such a supportive and engaged community,” said Escobar. “I am thankful to everyone involved in the hiring process, including the hiring committee, the swim and dive teams, Berry President Dr. Stephen Briggs, Debbie Heida, and Dr. Mason.”

In 2021-22, Escobar was an assistant coach at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minn. Helping the program transition from Division III to Division I, Escobar helped a pair of Tommies to All-Summit League status, with Will Goldman and Grace Urkiel each setting school D-I records in the 100-Yard breaststroke on the men’s and women’s side, respectively.

Prior to arriving at the University of St. Thomas, Escobar served as Head Coach of Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving at State University of New York at Fredonia from 2019 to 2021. In her first season with the Blue Devils, two individuals and one relay earned All-SUNYAC honors at the conference championship meet and four school records were broken. A total of 14 athletes were named to the SUNYAC Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll for the 2019-20 academic year and both the men’s and women’s team captured the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America All-America award for the 2020 spring semester.

In the 2018-19 season, Escobar was an interim assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. While there, she helped the men’s 200-yard freestyle relay team to D-III All-America status. The men’s and women’s teams combined to set eight school records during the season.

Escobar began her collegiate coaching career at Hamilton College, serving as an assistant coach for two seasons and as the interim head coach for a season.

The new Berry head coach has spent time coaching at numerous camps across the country, including the University of Georgia’s Bauerle Bulldog Swim Camp, Harvard’s Technique Academy, and Kenyon’s Total Performance Swim Camp.

A 2014 graduate of The University of the South, Escobar was a three-time NCAA Division III All-America in the breaststroke and an 11-time conference champion – three in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and eight in the Southern Athletic Association. She set Sewanee’s school and pool records in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events and was a member of both school-record setting 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams. Escobar was the 2014 Sewanee Senior Athlete of the Year, the 2014 Evelyn J. Mooney Award winner as the top senior female athlete, the Bishop Juhan Award winner for excellence in swimming, and a Vice Chancellor’s Scholar for Scholarship and Leadership.

Escobar still holds the Cage Center record for the 200-yard breaststroke, set in 2011 at 2:25.60.

“I’m so grateful to my parents and life mentors that have modeled and instilled the values in me that align with those of Berry College to prepare me for this new and exciting chapter of my life,” Escobar said.

Escobar will begin her post on July 1, 2022.