KINGSPORT, Tenn. – The Emory & Henry College Women's Swimming Team opened the 2023-24 season over the weekend at the King Invitational. The Wasps put up several impressive performances as they finished third out of nine schools in the two-day, three-session, timed-finals format.

The Basics
EVENT – King Invitational
HOST – King (Tenn.) University
FINAL RESULT – 3rd/9
LOCATION – Kingsport, Tennessee
VENUE – Kingsport Aquatic Center

Saturday
- Event 1 – 200-Yard Freestyle Relay – Sophomore Mackenzie Barnett (Monroe Township, N.J.), junior Paige Gelenski (Boca Raton, Fla.), sophomore Mick Sorochen (Monmouth Junction, N.J.) and junior Hope Christensen (Moroni, Utah) placed fourth in 1:44.53. The Wasps' "B" and "C" relays tied for 12th.
- Event 3 – 500-Yard Freestyle – Barnett took sixth with a time of 5:20.18 as sophomore Gabby Sadosky (Las Vegas, Nev.) was 14th in 5:46.47. Junior Peyton Helscher (Simi Valley, Calif.), sophomore Maggie Robinson (Canton, Ga.) and sophomore Vivian Vanderpool (Elgin, Okla.) were 19th, 20th and 23rd, respectively.
- Event 5 – 200-Yard Individual Medley – Sophomore Samantha Pepevnik (Porsgrunn, NORWAY) was seventh at 2:17.46 while Gelenski took 12th (2:20.92). Freshman Bella Cress (Gibsonville, N.C.), sophomore Jill Koler (Manassas, Va.) and junior Rachel Ritter (Gibsonville, N.C.) grabbed the 21st through 23rd places.
- Event 7 – 50-Yard Freestyle – Barnett finished fifth, touching the wall at :25.53 with Christensen close behind in sixth (:25.86). Sorochen claimed 12th in :26.78.
- Event 9 – 1,650-Yard Freestyle – Freshman Jaxon Thurman (Ooltewah, Tenn.) was eighth in 19:42.77 with Sadosky 10th (20:09.49), Helscher 12th (20:16.24) and freshman Madison Graham (Radford, Va.) 14th (20:50.71).
- Event 11 – 200-Yard Medley Relay – Sorochen, Koler, Pepevnik and Sadosky posted a 10th-place finish in 2:00.38 as the "B" relay was 16th.
- Event 13 – 100-Yard Butterfly – Gelenski placed sixth with a time of 1:02.62 with Sorochen taking 14th (1:04.78). Robinson was 20th while Graham was 22nd and Vanderpool was 23rd.
- Event 15 – 200-Yard Breaststroke – Ritter took eighth, swimming a 2:37.71 as Cress was 14th (2:48.94) and Koler was 15th (2:49.21).
- Event 17 – 100-Yard Individual Medley – Koler went back-to-back on her events and was 16th in 1:10.14.
- Event 19 – 200-Yard Freestyle – Barnett placed fifth in the race at 2:02.26 with Sadosky taking 13th (2:08.06). Thurman was 18th as Robinson, Graham and Helscher claimed 24th through 26th. Christensen took 28th while Vanderpool was 31st.
- Event 21 – 200-Yard Backstroke – Pepevnik notched a fourth-place finish, touching the wall in 2:12.52 with Sorochen 10th (2:23.67). Helscher was 17th.
- Event 23 – 400-Yard Medley Relay – E&H closed the day finishing third as Pepevnik, Koler, Gelenski and Barnett swam a 4:12.88. The "B" relay was 11th while the "C" relay was 16th.

Sunday
- Event 25 – 400-Yard Individual Medley – Gelenski got the day started, taking fourth in 4:56.38 while Cress was 10th (5:07.37) and Ritter was 12th (5:14.31).
- Event 27 – 100-Yard Backstroke – Pepevnik notched runner-up honors in 1:01.45 with Sorochen finishing ninth (1:05.12) and Christensen 13th (1:08.06). Thurman was 17th.
- Event 29 – 100-Yard Breaststroke – Ritter came in fifth at 1:12.50 with Koler taking eighth in 1:13.34.
- Event 31 – 200-Yard Butterly – Gelenski placed fourth in 2:18.71 while Pepevnik was eighth (2:31.72).
- Event 33 – 100-Yard Freestyle – Barnett and Christensen were fourth (:56.25) and fifth (:56.35),  respectively, while Sadosky came in 14th at :58.90. Robinson (T-19th), Thurman (21st), Cress (T-25th) and Graham (32nd) also competed.
- Event 35 – 400-Yard Freestyle Relay – E&H closed the meet as Christensen, Sadosky, Robinson and Barnett went a 3:51.74 to place sixth. The "B" relay was 10th.

Next Up
- Emory & Henry hosts Carson-Newman in a South Atlantic Conference dual meet on Friday at 4:00 p.m.

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