Emory University senior Hannah Smith and junior Lukas Mees won the women's and men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively, to pace the Eagles during the first day of the 2015 University Athletic Association Championships at the Woodruff Physical Education Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Emory women finished the first day in third-place with 50 points, trailing first-place Chicago (76 points) and second-place Case Western Reserve (53 points).  Following the Eagles in the women's standings were Washington (42), Carnegie Mellon (26), NYU (23) and Brandeis (3).

Emory was fifth after the first day in the men's standings, behind Washington (85), NYU (44), Case Western Reserve (39) and Chicago (35).  Behind the Eagles are Carnegie Mellon (25) and Brandeis (8).

Smith won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:57.50, the 16^th-fastest mark in Division III this season, claiming the first conference championship of her career.  Her time was over a 10-second improvement on her previous career-best mark in the event.  Smith became just the third woman in the program's history to break 11 minutes in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, joining former Eagles Sarah Byrd and Meredith Lorch, and it marked the fifth time an Eagle has won the event at the conference championship meet.

Mees earned his first career UAA Title as well, winning the event with a career-best time of 9:25.82, the sixth-fastest in program history.  He is just the second Eagle ever to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the conference championships, joining Adam Carlson, who claimed the UAA Championship in the event in both 1999 and 2001.

The Emory men's 4x800-meter relay team set a new program record in the event and earned all-UAA honors, as freshman Robert Wilhelm III, sophomore Brandon Cromer, junior Andrew Hemingway and junior Josh Traynelis finished second in a time of 7:45.90.  The Emory women's 4x800-meter relay team added an all-UAA honor on the first day as well, as freshman Gabrielle Stravach, freshman Halle Markel, senior Stephanie Crane and junior Julie Williamson finished third with a time of 9:17.29 to earn all-UAA honors.

Adding on all-UAA finishes for the men on Saturday were senior James Bassen in the hammer throw (third, 44.77 meters) and junior Maxwell Hoberman in the long jump (third, 6.57 meters).  An additional three Emory men and 10 women scored for the team on the first day, with 11 men and nine women qualifying for finals of their respective events on Sunday.

Action at the UAA Championships will wrap-up on Sunday afternoon.