Payne Dazzles on Opening Day of NCAA Division III Women’s Championships

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, March 9. AS the NCAA Division III Women’s Championships started Thursday night, some familiar names soared to the head of the field. In the team standings, Kenyon took the lead with 151 points, ahead of the 134 points compiled by Emory. Meanwhile, Williams’ Lindsay Payne – as expected – was the individual star, as she set a divisional record en route to victory in the 200 individual medley.

The Kenyon quartet of Elizabeth Carlton, Brittany Hurd, Allison Johnson and Jessica Wise easily won the 200 freestyle relay, burning through the water at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in 1:34.81. Carlton was second in the 50 free while Wise and Hurd were fifth and sixth in the sprint, which was captured by Calvin’s Becky Weima in 23.30.

Payne, who earlier this year established a D-III record in the 100 breaststroke, negotiated the 200 I.M. in 2:03.14, just under the former record of 2:03.18, set last year by Kaitlyn Orstein of Washington & Jefferson. Orstein was second to Payne on Thursday night, thanks to a time of 2:04.81. Payne also helped Williams College win the 400 medley relay in 3:49.81. She was joined by Meghan Faughnan, Chrissy Haley and Lauren Edmondson. In the 500 freestyle, Emory’s Sam White prevailed in 4:55.24.

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