CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Wellesley College swimming & diving took fifth place in the women's 800 Free Relay on the opening night of the 2020 New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Swimming & Diving Championships, hosted by MIT at the Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center Pool. 

The Blue are currently in fifth place in the overall standings thanks to the team's result in the 800 Free Relay. Host MIT captured the opening event and leads the field with 70 points, WPI is in second (56) and Wheaton is tied for third (54) with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Sixth place Springfield (42) and Babson (42) trail the Blue by ten points, while Smith is in eighth (36) and Mount Holyoke College and Clark University are tied for ninth (30).

Wellesley's A Relay of senior Danielle Peterson (Livingston, N.J.), sophomore Shelby Ripp (St. Louis, Mo.), senior Maggie Haley (Shady Side, Md.), and junior Hannah May (Cincinnati, Ohio) combined for a time of 7:48.00 to take fifth in the A Final of the 800 Free Relay. Wellesley's B Relay of junior Margaret Harrigan (Chatham, N.J.), sophomores Emery Dutton (Wayland, Mass.) and Marisa Papagelis (Westborough, Mass.), and first year Elizabeth Park (Dix Hills, N.Y.) added a third place finish in the B Final, finishing in 7:58.24.

Action continues throughout the day on Friday, with the 200 Free Relay, 500 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free and 400 Medley Relay trials at 10:00 AM and women's 3-meter dive prelims scheduled for approximately 1:15 PM. Finals will begin at 6:00 PM.