Namutebi scoops NCAA award
What you need to know:
- The 19-year-old, who is just about six months settled in the USA, topped the women's 50 yards freestyle event at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships with a time of 22.08 seconds in the finals last Thursday.
Kirabo Namutebi added a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) award at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, USA to her huge collection of swimming merits.
The 19-year-old, who is just about six months settled in the USA, topped the women's 50 yards freestyle event at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships with a time of 22.08 seconds in the finals last Thursday.
The national swimmer had been the fastest qualifier from the preliminaries with 22.36 and defended her top seed in the finals with relative ease.
The feat made her Uganda’s first swimmer to win an NCAA II award. In March 2022, Jesse Ssengonzi won an NCCA III award in the men’s 100m fly yards with a 46.77.
The NCAA has three divisions; I is retained for students on scholarship for either their athletic or academic abilities. The Division II philosophy focuses on a balance in which student-athletes are recognized for their academic success, athletics contributions, and campus and community involvement while Academics are the primary focus for Division III student-athletes.
Namutebi also competed in the women’s 100 yard freestyle event clocking 50.59in the prelims, where she placed 13th overall. She then clocked 50.76 to finish 15th in the consolation finals.
