McDermott spurs Emory to lead on opening day of NCAAs

INDIANAPOLIS -- Senior Courtney McDermott opened the action at the NCAA championships for Emory, earning her fifth-career all-America certificate with a third-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 4:51.53. Junior McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg added an all-America certificate (the third of her career) with a fifth-place finish in the event with a time of 4:52.08, while junior Megan Beach (11th-place, 4:54.35 in the preliminaries) and sophomore Carolyn Bonfield (14th-place, 4:55.26 in the preliminaries) each earned all-America honorable mentions.

In the 200 individual medley, freshman Annelise Kowalsky finished second with a time of 2:02.78 in the finals to earned all-America honors, while senior Sadie Nennig earned an all-America certificate with a third-place finish, after breaking her own school record in the event with a time of 2:02.40. With the finish, Nennig became the eighth Emory women's swimmer to earn all-America honors in the same event for four years. Junior Nina Zook won the consolation heat, finishing ninth overall with a time of 2:04.21, while senior Kylie McKenzie also claimed an all-America honorable mention in the event with a 12th-place finish in a time of 2:05.39.

Larson added an all-America honorable mention in the 50 freestyle, winning the consolation heat and finishing ninth overall with a time of 23.17 seconds, her third-career all-America honorable mention certificate.

Emory rounded out the day with a third-place finish in the 200 medley relay, as sophomore Ellie Thompson, Kowalsky, freshman Marcela Sanchez-Aizcorbe and freshman Marissa Bergh finished third, after recording a time of 1:42.94 during the preliminaries.