The Emory University men's swimming & diving team's quest for a four-peat got underway Wednesday as the Eagles and the rest of the Division III world began competition at the 2025 NCAA Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The Eagles were headlined on the first night of events with one national runner-up performance to go along with a pair of consolation winners.
Through one day of action, the Eagles sit in the fifth spot with 58 points. Denison University leads the field with 115 points.
The final event of the evening was when Emory shined brightest as the team of seniors Nolan Lahmann, junior Henri Bonnault, senior Jeff Echols and freshman Colin Zexter nearly won a national championship in the 400 Medley Relay. The Eagles were leading for most of the race before getting clipped by Carnegie Mellon over the final 50, settling for silver with a time of 3:12.01.
Prior to the national runner-up effort, the Eagles claimed two wins in the consolation finals of the 200 IM and 50 Freestyle. In the 200 IM, sophomore McKee Thorsen dropped a season-best time of 1:47.79 in prelims before going 1:48.13 in the finals. In the 50 Free, senior Dylan Yin went below 20 seconds for the first time in his career, burning a 19.94 for the ninth place finish.
Freshman Solly Berkenwald added All-America acclaim in his first taste at nationals as the rookie placed 11th in the 3-meter with a score of 484.80.
The NCAA Championships continue Thursday with a slate featuring the 400 IM, 100 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle Relay and women's 1-meter diving. Prelims get underway at 10:00 AM with the finals to follow at 6:00 PM.
