The Emory University women's swimming & diving team seized first place at the University Athletic Association Championships following a Thursday night that featured three conference titles, six all-conference finishes and one new UAA meet record.

After two days of competition, the Eagles have an 18-point lead on the rest of the field with 614 points while NYU and Chicago are close on their heels at 596 and 590 points, respectively.

Graduate student Taylor Leone headlined the team on Thursday as she won her third straight UAA crown in the 50 Freestyle and was part of both championship-winning relays. In the 50, Leone cruised to the win with a finals time of 23.02 after posting a time of 23.29 during the morning session.

After sophomore Ariana Khan led things off with a fifth-place effort in the 3-meter dive finals, the Eagles opened the swimming portion with a bang as Leone, senior Sammie Kass, freshman Claire DePiero and senior Caroline Maki captured the team's first title of the week with a gem in the 200 Freestyle Relay, turning in a winning mark of 1:31.91.

Leone and Maki teamed up along with junior Megan Jungers and senior Anna Glowniak to send the WoodPEC crowd into a frenzy at the end of the night as the quartet smashed the UAA record in the 400 Medley Relay, winning by over five seconds at 3:40.26.

The evening also featured All-UAA swims by juniors Penelope Helm and Sloane Donovan in the 500 Freestyle, with Helm earning silver at 4:57.55 and Donovan taking bronze at 4:59.08. Classmate Fiona Arwood rounded out the all-conference finishes by the Eagles as she finished third in the 200 IM at 2:04.94.

Emory also saw big individual point contributors out of graduate student Marianne Allard who won the B Final in the 200 IM (2:06.42) and senior Nina Turcanu who finished second in the B Final in the 500 Free.

The UAA Championships continue on Friday with the 200 Medley Relay, 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back and men's 3-meter diving.