MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- The Amherst College men's swimming and diving team brought strong opening performances to the first day of the Jayden Szkirka Memorial Championships, hosted by Wesleyan University on Friday evening. 

Eight Mammoths placed among the top five while five Amherst relay teams claimed a top-five finish to conclude the opening day in first place with 574.7 points ahead of runner up Coast Guard with 558.6 points and Wesleyan (504.4 points) in third. Amherst was led by Gabriele Lunardi who claimed the victory in the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 4:29.67, placing the senior in the top-five nationally for this season and marks an NCAA B-Cut performance. 

The Mammoths, ranked 23rd in the nation in the latest CSCAA Division III poll, return to action tomorrow at 10 am for the second day of the Jayden Szkirka Memorial Championships.

MEET HIGHLIGHTS:

* In the 200-yard freestyle relay the Amherst A and B teams opened the day claiming second and third place posting times of 1:23.98 and 1:25.12, respectively. 

* Lunardi claimed the victory in the 500-yard freestyle with a personal-best time of 4:29.67 while first-year Jack Goepfrich placed fourth overall clocking in a personal best of of 4:42.57 and classmate Teddy Sun finished fifth posting a personal record of 4:43.97.

* Senior Tor Metelmann finished as the runner up in the 200-yard individual medley, registering a time of 1:52.46 and finishing just 0.02 seconds off of the first-place finisher while sophomore Henry Liu placed third overall recording a personal best of 1:53.17.

* Three Mammoths placed in the top five in the 50-yard freestyle as senior Andrew Yuen touched the wall in a time of 21.40 which was good for third while junior Ethan Van De Water and senior Jaden Olson tied for fourth place delivering times of 21.41. 

* In the 400-yard medley relay, the Amherst A, B, and C teams placed third, fourth, and fifth producing times of 3:24.06, 3:25.04, and 3:27.28, respectively.