(HALIFAX, N.S.) - Acadia's Axemen and Axewomen Swimming sit in second place in the overall standings after the first session at the Kemp Fry Invitational at Dalhousie University on November 26th. With 108 points, Acadia trails the Dalhousie Tigers who scored 213 points on day 1.

Session 1 of the Kemp Fry Invitational included timed finals in the women's 800-metre freestyle, and men's 1500 metre freestyle, and preliminaries in the 50-metre butterfly, 50-metre backstroke, and 50-metre breaststroke. The men's and women's 4 x 200 freestyle relay closed off the night.

Dalhousie's Reagan Crowell picked up a win in the opening event of the meet, the women's 800-metre freestyle, in a time of 8:49.29, while Dalhousie's Logan Sparkes was the men's 1500 metre freestyle winner in a time of 15:42.35. Acadia's Maddie Murray and Cameron Ingo were sixth in 9:41.22 and 17:46.30 in the women's 800-metre freestyle and men's 1500 metre freestyle, respectively.

Shane Kenny of Bathurst, New Brunswick, put up a huge best time in the men's 50-metre butterfly preliminaries on his way to posting the fastest prelim time in 23.99, shattering his previous AUS record of 24.51. Kenny will have another chance to better his record during the final on Sunday evening. On the women's side, Kassidy Hamilton of Fredericton, New Brunswick, recorded the third-fastest time in the 50-metre butterfly preliminaries in a time of 28.94.

Fifth-year veteran swimmer Jessica Pelletier of Fredericton, New Brunswick, posted the fastest time in the women's 50 metre backstroke preliminaries with a time of 29.74. Pelletier will compete in the final on Saturday, Nov. 27th.

"I am very excited and proud of myself for my performance tonight," Pelletier said. "The energy in the air is refreshing and rejuvenating which helped me get into the right mindset. I'm very grateful for my teammates' support cheering me on. It's a very uplifting environment." 

Aaron Day of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, was the top Acadia time in the men's 50-metre backstroke preliminaries with the third-fastest time in 26.88. 

Gordon Shortt of Simcoe, Ontario, recorded the fastest men's 50-metre breaststroke in the preliminaries with a time of 29.20 and will compete in the final on Sunday, while Kali Lancaster of Victoria, B.C., will be Acadia's top seed going into the women's 50 breaststroke final in fifth place in 34.69.

The Tigers team of Martine Nyhof, Abbey Nichols, Emilie Schofield, and Reagan Crowell captured the women's 4 x 200 freestyle relay in a time of 8:22.01, with the Axewomen's team of Grace Earle, Elisabeth Morrison, Lia Lancaster, and Kassidy Hamilton placing third in a time of 8:52.57, with Memorial University in second at 8:46.80. The Axemen's team of Dean Sangster, Bo Stokesbury-Price, Gordon Shortt, and Reilly Baker picked up a second-place finish in the final event of the evening, the men's 4 x 200 freestyle relay, in a time of 7:39.60, while the Tigers won in 0:34.02, and Memorial in third in 7:49.41. 

Axemen and Axewomen swimming will be back in action on November 27th for day 2 of the Kemp Fry Invitational at 10 am for preliminaries and 5 pm for finals. 

Contributed by Maddie Murray, Acadia Athletics Communications