GREENSBORO, N.C. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's and women's swimming and diving teams opened up the 2024 NCAA Division III Championships on Wednesday and Thursday at Greensboro Aquatic Center. The Blugolds had multiple athletes in action on both of the first two days.

On Day 1, Molly Hosack (So. - Cedarburg, Wis.) nearly grabbed All-America honors in the women's 500-yard freestyle. She placed 17th with a time of 4:59.63 in preliminaries, just missing out on making the consolation finals. She qualified as an alternate for the night session, but no swimmers dropped out of the race for her to fill in.

The Blugolds' women's 200-yard medley relay team of Sydney McGuine (Sr. - Huntley, Ill.), Ella Weaver (Sr. - McFarland, Wis.), Elaina Plonis (Jr. - Macomb, Mich./Eisenhower) and Kiara Bissen (Jr. - Madison, Wis./Memorial) placed 26th with a time of 1:47.19.

Blake Wallen (Fr. - Savage, Minn./Prior Lake) placed 22nd in the men's three-meter diving competition on Wednesday.

Only the Blugold women were in action on Day 2. UW-Eau Claire's 200-yard freestyle relay team of Bissen, McGuine, Weaver and Hosack took 27th with a time of 1:38.46. The same four swimmers formed the Blugolds' 400-yard medley relay team which placed 22nd at 3:52.68.

Hosack took 47th place in the 200-yard freestyle on Thursday with a time of 1:54.69. 

The Blugolds are back in action with Day 3 of the NCAA Championships on Friday. Preliminaries begin at 10 a.m. Eastern, followed by the finals at 6 p.m. Eastern. Weaver will swim in the 100-yard breaststroke and Wallen will compete in the one-meter diving competition.

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