Led by three conference titles on the first night of swimming events, the Emory University women's swimming and diving team was able to build a narrow lead at the University Athletic Association Championships in Chicago, IL.
Through two nights of events, the Eagles hold a slim 7.5-point advantage in a tightly contested conference championship meet. The Eagles lead the field with 504.5 points followed by the host Maroons at 497 points with NYU in third at 482. Emory as a team collected three UAA event championships and seven All-UAA finishes Thursday evening.
The night session began with the Eagles earning the 200 Freestyle Relay title with sophomore Taylor Leone, freshman Caroline Maki, junior Lucy Daro and senior Caroline Olson combining for a winning time of 1:33.06. The win is Emory's eighth consecutive in the event.
Senior Maria Turcanu followed with her repeating at the UAA champion in the 500 Freestyle. Turcanu went wire-to-wire in the championship final, winning by over three seconds at 4:54.75. It is the seventh straight year an Eagle has won the event and the 12th out of the last 13.
Leone secured Emory's third win of the night as she captured the title in the 50 Freestyle, throwing down a finals time of 23.47. It marked Leone's first-ever individual conference event title and was the Eagles' 11th consecutive in the event.
Sophomores Clio Hancock and Josie Uerling tallied All-UAA finishes in the 200 IM with Hancock earning silver with a time of 2:03.62 while Uerling took bronze at 2:04.24. Adding All-UAA honors on Thursday was Maki in the 50 Freestyle, taking silver in a time of 23.58, and the 400 Medley Relay team of Olson, Maki, sophomore Edie Bates and freshman Savannah Sowards who placed second at 3:47.05.
The UAA Championships continues Friday with action in the 200 Medley Relay, 400 IM, 100 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, women's 3-meter diving and the 800 Freestyle Relay.