INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The Bates swimming team is headed to the NCAA Division III Championships with high expectations, as the Bobcats are favored in five different events. The action is taking place Wednesday through Saturday at the IU Natatorium, with prelims at 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m. each day.

Last year, men's senior captain Max Cory (Dublin, Calif.) broke the NCAA Division III record in the 100-yard freestyle in the championship final as a junior with his time of 42.88 seconds as he won the program's first individual national title. Cory is the top seed in the 100 free this year, based on his seed time of 42.92 seconds, which broke the NESCAC meet and the Colby pool record at the conference championships. He is tied for the top seed nationally in the 50-yard freestyle, based on his seed time of 19.53 seconds, which broke the meet, Colby pool, and Bates school record at the NESCAC Championships. Cory finished national runner-up in the 50 free a year ago.

The men's 200-yard medley relay team of junior Tim Johnson (Brewster, Mass.), senior captain Marrich Somridhivej (South Windsor, Conn.), sophomore Nate Oppenheim (Easton, Conn.), and Cory set a new NCAA Division III record with their time of 1:25.57 at the NESCAC Championships. They are the top seed by more than a second entering the NCAA Championships. Bates College has never won a national title in a relay and last year they took seventh in the 200-yard medley relay at NCAAs. 

The same four athletes make up the men's 400-yard medley relay team, which captured the NESCAC title with a new school, conference, meet, and Colby pool record time of 3:09.84. That is also good for the top seed at nationals by more than a second. Bates is also chasing the NCAA Division III record, which currently stands at 3:09.78. Last year, the Bobcats took third in the event, the best relay finish at nationals in program history.

Somridhivej joins Cory as individuals who are favored in events for the Bobcats, as he is the top seed in the men's 100-yard breaststroke based on his NESCAC record time of 51.85 seconds. The NCAA Division III record is 50.94 seconds and belongs to Olympian Andrew Wilson. Somridhivej placed fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke at NCAAs last year. Oppenheim is also a threat to place highly in the 100 breast, as he ranks 18th in the country with his seed time of 54.39 seconds. Meanwhile, Somridhivej hopes to score points for Bates in the 200-yard breaststroke, where he is seeded 19th based on his Bates-record time of 1:59.99, which he swam at this year's CBB Meet. 

The Bobcats have lots of opportunities to score points this year, with the men's 200-yard freestyle relay team of junior John Weigel (Iowa City, Iowa), Cory, junior Benjamin Wolking (Micanopy, Fla.), and Somridhivej winning the NESCAC title with a new school, conference, meet, and Colby pool record time of 1:19.47. That mark is good for the fifth seed nationally. Denison is the top seed at 1:18.42. Bates' best finish at NCAAs in program history in the 200 free relay is seventh, back in 2023.

Bates' men's 400-yard freestyle relay is actually seeded a tick higher at fourth nationally, with Weigel, Johnson, senior Nate Pierce (Fairfield, Maine), and Cory closing the NESCAC Championships the same way the Bobcats did last year, by taking first place. Bates touched the wall in 2:56.96, breaking the school record in the event. The University of Chicago is the top seed at NCAAs with their time of 2:54.38. The Bates men's team's best finish nationally in the 400 free relay is 12th, also achieved in 2023. 

Individually, junior Sarah Palmer (Brunswick, Maine) is representing the Bates women's team at the NCAA Championships and she is seeded fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke with her school-record time of 2:15.96. Palmer recorded that time this year when she captured the first NESCAC championship of her career and the first for the Bobcats in the 200 breast since 2012. She is also in position to score points in the 100-yard breaststroke, where she is seeded 11th thanks to her time of 1:02.55. That mark was good for second at the NESCAC Championships. Palmer's school record in the event is 1:02.50. She is a four-time All-American whose best finish at nationals is ninth in the 100-yard breaststroke, which she achieved last year. 

Johnson is seeded seventh nationally in the men's 200-yard backstroke thanks to his Bates record and NESCAC title-winning time of 1:46.11. He ranks ninth nationally in the 100-yard backstroke with a seed time of 47.86 seconds. Johnson swam that in the prelims at the NESCAC Championships before taking second in the championship final in 48.36 seconds. Johnson placed 12th nationally in the 200 back a year ago. 

Weigel is seeded 11th nationally in the 200-yard freestyle with his school-record time of 1:37.51, which was good for second place at the NESCAC Championships. He ranks 17th in the 100-yard freestyle at 44.36 seconds. 

Junior Liam Friedlander (Pittsburgh, Pa.) joins the eight-man and one-woman Bates contingent at nationals this year. His best scoring opportunity comes in the 200-yard butterfly, where Friedlander is seeded 17th with his Bates-record time of 1:48.05, which was good for second place at the NESCAC Championships.

The top-16 finishers nationally in each event score points for their teams and earn All-America honors.