The Emory University swimming & diving programs are spread out over the country in the final competition weekend of the calendar year, with swimmers headed to Denison and SCAD and divers off to MIT.
The Eagles' top competitors started competition on Thursday with the Denison Invitational and saw the men's team out in front following the first day of the three-day long meet with 569 points while the woman sit in third with 398.5 points. Also in the pool with the Eagles this week in Granville, Ohio are host Denison, WashU, Emory & Henry College, University of Indianapolis and Eastern Michigan University women.
Sophomore Crow Thorsen headlined the Eagles on day as he picked up the lone individual event win for either team as he touched first in the 500 Freestyle with a NCAA B Cut of 4:28.39. The Emory men recorded six B Cuts throughout the first day of swimming.
With Thorsen opening the evening with a win, the Eagles also closed the night with a victory with seniors Ryan Soh, Jake Meyer, Nicholas Goudie and junior Jeff Echols claiming the top spot in the 400 Medley Relay with a winning mark of 3:11.04 – the second-fastest time in program history.
To go along with the two event wins, the Emory men added a second place showing in the 200 Freestyle Relay with Soh, Goudie, sophomore Caden Bjornstad and junior Johnny Bradshaw (1:20.17) and saw fifth place finishes turned in from Goudie in the 50 Free (20.27), freshman McKee Thorsen in the 200 IM (1:49.86) and junior Alexander Pollack in the 500 Freestyle (4:32.48).
On the women's side of competition, the Eagles came through with two third place finishes and five NCAA B Cuts.
Both third place showings came in the relay events with senior Megan Jungers, sophomore Jane Sanderson, freshman Cece York, and sophomore Penny Celtnieks combining for a 1:33.63 time in the 200 Freestyle Relay prior to Jungers, senior Penelope Helm and freshmen Maren McDonald and Katie Cohen ended the evening with a 3:45.82 performance in the 400 Medley.
Helm highlighted the Eagles in the individual events as she led a trio of Eagles that posted NCAA B Cuts in the finals of the 500 Freestyle. Helm was fourth at 4:56.13 with freshman Meredith Teague placing eighth at 4:58.56 in the A final while junior Jada Chatoor won the B Final at 4:59.39. Sophomore Isabel Huang was Emory's top finisher in the 200 IM as she placed sixth with a time of 2:06.71 and in the 50 Freestyle, Celtnieks reached the A Final and finished ninth at 23.91.
The Denison Invitational will continue on Friday with prelims beginning at 10:00 AM and the finals to follow at 6:00 PM.