INDIANAPOLIS -- Bates junior Nathan Berry recorded the best finish by a men's swimmer in program history at the NCAA Championships on Wednesday, taking sixth place in the 50 yard freestyle to highlight the first day of action for the Bobcats. 

Berry (Augusta, Maine) broke his own program record in the event, racing to the finish in 20.02 seconds in the prelims Wednesday morning. Berry recorded a time of 20.07 at night in the final, good for sixth place. Rowan's Kevin Gillooly won the race in 19.50 seconds.

Berry's sixth place finish surpasses Dave Collins '94 for the best nationals performance by a men's swimmer in program history. Collins took eighth in the 200 yard breaststroke in 1991. Diver Andrew Hastings '02 still holds the best overall finish at NCAAs for the men's program, taking fourth in 1-meter diving in 1999 and fourth in 3-meter diving in 2000. 

The Bobcats recorded three other All-America (Top 16) performances on Wednesday.

Sophomore Grace Wenger (Hanover, N.H.) took 12th in the 500 yard freestyle with a prelims time of 4:56.00 and a finals time of 4:56.14. It's the best finish in the 500 yard freestyle at NCAAs in program history. 

Wenger swam the butterfly in the 200 yard medley relay, helping first-year Sophie Cassily (Rye, N.H.), junior Abigail Gibbons (Westtown, N.Y.), and sophomore Marjorie McLeod (Durham, Maine) earn All-America honors with a 12th place finish. The Bobcats swam the race in 1:43.49 in the prelims and 1:43.80 in the finals. 

Senior Andrew Hall (Little Silver, N.J.) earned his first career All-America honor with his 13th place finish in the 200 yard IM, swimming to the finish in 1:49.23 in the prelims and 1:49.27 in the finals. Hall becomes the first men's swimmer in program history to earn All-America honors in the 200 IM. 

Hall and Berry are the only Bates men's swimmers at NCAAs this year and they combined for 17 points on Wednesday, putting the Bobcats in 19th place out of 34 scoring teams.

On the women's side, the Bobcats sit in 15th place out of 25 scoring teams with 15 points. 

The Bobcats return to action Thursday morning for day two of four, with prelims at 10am and finals at 6pm.