MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- The Bates women's swimming and diving team got the NESCAC Championships off to a great start Thursday night, breaking the school record in the 800-yard freestyle relay and finishing runner-up in the event. 

The team of senior captain Grace Wenger (Hanover, N.H.), senior Natalie Young (Windham, N.H.), junior Sophie Cassily (Rye, N.H.), and junior Stephanie Tropper (Solon, Ohio) raced to the finish in an NCAA "B" Cut time of 7:28.39. The mark is the 8th fastest this year in NCAA Division III, and the fastest in Bates history, breaking the previous record of 7:29.60, which was set in 2022 by Maya Reynoso Williams '22, Caroline Sweeney '22, Sophia Carrai '25, and Wenger.

The Bobcats earned 56 points for their All-NESCAC (top-3) performance, and the "B" relay team of first-year Cora Zuwallack (Falmouth, Mass.), sophomore Lianna Rosman (Bethesda, Md.), senior Amy Townend (Chester Heights, Pa.), and sophomore Lily Barisonek (New Vernon, N.J.) placed 18th in 7:52.16, earning 12 points.

Combined, the Bobcats have 68 points through one event at the NESCAC Championships, good for fourth place out of 11 teams, and just four points back of third-place Middlebury.

The first full day of competition at the NESCAC Women's Swimming & Diving Championships is Friday, with morning prelims beginning at 10am and finals at 6pm.