The University of Arizona scored 161 points and jumped out to an early lead during Day One of the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at Gabrielsen Natatorium on Thursday.

Following the first day of action, Auburn trailed Arizona with 151 points, Georgia was in third with 147 points, Stanford was at the No. 4 spot with 82 points and California grabbed fifth place with 79 points.

A pair of NCAA records marked the highlight during the first day of the meet. For first-place Arizona, which had three winners out of six events, the 200-yard freestyle relay team topped the NCAA record with a 1:27.98 mark. For Georgia, junior Kara Lynn Joyce broke the NCAA, American, U.S. Open and her own pool record in the 50-yard freestyle at 21.63.

Arizona’s relay team of Courtney Cashion, Jenna Gresdal, Anna Turner and Lindsey Kelly broke the NCAA record as well as the U.S. Open record during the first event of the finals on Thursday. Georgia’s relay team formerly held both records in 2005.

“A lot of people were not expecting us to put a relay in the top three together,” said Cashion. “But, we put it together and showed our depth and our heart.”

Joyce trimmed 0.06 of a second off the former NCAA record of 21.69 set by ex-Georgia swimmer Maritza Correia (2002). Correia later presented Joyce her trophy on the awards stand. Joyce’s win in the event marks her third national title in the 50 free in as many years.

"I'm proud of Kara Lynn,” said Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle. “I mean that was the goal from the first day she walked in. It was one of our own records, but Maritza is happy for her and she actually got to give out the trophy. So we've had the two fastest females ever in the 50 freestyle, which we're proud of. I still think Kara Lynn can go faster."

Arizona’s second win of the day came from sophomore Whitney Myers, who took first in the 200-yard individual medley. Myers set a new pool record with a time of 1:54.88, which topped Southern Methodist’s Martina Moracova’s mark from 1999.

In the 400-yard medley relay, Arizona’s foursome of Gresdal, Erin Sieper, Myers and Lacey Nymeyer broke the pool record after finishing in 3:31.70. Arizona won for the first time in school history in the event and stopped Georgia’s two-year streak of taking first place.

Also for Georgia, senior Laura Conway established a new pool record in the 500-yard free with a time of 4:40.01. Arizona’s Emily Mason had won the NCAA title in the event in 2004 and 2005.

In the 1-meter diving competition, Southern California’s Blythe Hartley took first by scoring 353.5 points. Blythe, who also had the top mark during the preliminary round (325.35), was an NCAA champion in the event in 2002.

Auburn stands in second place after the first day by having three third-place or better finishes, including Hayley Peirsol’s second-place finish in the 500 free (4:41.78).

The second day of the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships begins with prelims on Friday morning at 11 a.m. and the finals at 7 p.m.

Day One Quotes

200-yard freestyle relay winner Courtney Cashion, Arizona
"I don't think we could have started a meet any better than that. I expected that we would swim pretty well and then Lacey (Nymeyer) really swam fast in the last leg."

(On breaking Georgia's five-year event win streak)

"They beat us last year and we finished second, and that didn't feel too good. It feels amazing to win and that just makes it even more special."

200-yard freestyle relay runner-up Anna Miller, Georgia
"A lot of people were not expecting us to put a relay in the top three together. But, we put it together and showed our team, our depth and our heart. We're hoping that consistency will continue through the whole weekend. This is an amazing atmosphere, being at our home pool, with our parents and teammates who don't have to be here but who are here for support. It's really exciting."

500-yard freestyle winner Laura Conway, Georgia
"I can't believe it. It's been four years, and I finally made it. It's a great way to finish my college career. Being at home is really amazing with all of our fans. Even when I was swimming, I could see the fans, which motivated me even more. It's just really incredible to finish at home like this."

500-yard freestyle runner-up Hayley Peirsol, Auburn
"I felt a lot better tonight than I did this morning. That is my personal best time, so I'm really happy about that. I felt it was a good race, it was actually pretty fun. We are the closest we've ever been as a team, so hopefully everything falls into place. I know we came here to do our best.

We really have had a great year. It is crucial to have (our fans) here. They're crazy, but if we didn't have them here then we wouldn't be as pumped up and ready to go as we are."

200-yard individual medley winner Whitney Myers, Arizona
"I thought I swam really well. I was thinking about what I wanted to do all day and it only made me more nervous, so tonight I just wanted to go out and have fun and let it come."

(On setting the pool record)
"It feels awesome, especially doing it here at Georgia. This is a really fast pool and I know a lot of really fast swimmers have come through here."

(On coming from behind to make up time)
"My coach told me to really get after it in the breast stroke because that is my weakest stroke. I just poured my heart and soul into it. It's amazing. It's a dream come true."

(On the team's good start to the meet)
"I think the whole meet will be close event to event, day-to-day. I think it's going to be an awesome last day."

200-yard individual medley runner-up Tricia Harm, Georgia
"After watching Laura Conway swim her race, I got really excited to compete. That was my best time and when I went out there to race, I wanted to lower my time from this morning and that¹s what I did."

50-yard freestyle winner Kara Lynn Joyce, Georgia
"My main goal was to win the race and to break the records. I've been on top of those records since SECs. I wanted to break them and I did it. The fans are amazing at our home pool and that's an advantage to us. My whole family is here and I'm so happy that I could swim with them here at my home pool and they were able to watch me win."

50-yard freestyle runner-up Lacey Nymeyer, Arizona
"I wasn't sure how I was going to swim in the 50 because I really concentrate more on the 100 and 200 freestyle. But, this morning I swam my career best time (and set an Arizona school record) so that really took the pressure off for tonight. Overall I have really surpassed my goals for the year."

1-meter diving winner Blythe Hartley, Southern California
"I'm really happy, I dove pretty consistently today. That is my highest mark ever at NCAAs and my second highest career score (with six dives). The 1-meter is my strongest event. Overall I felt strong and consistent. My last dive was a little sub-par but overall consistency is what I aim for. Going into the last dive I had a feeling that I was ahead and I just kept telling myself not to do anything out of the ordinary and just do what I normally do. If you try to change things, that¹s how you mess up."

1-meter diving runner-up Allison Brennan, South Carolina
"[The event is] such a fun event. It's my last year to compete with top divers in the nation. I've competed in the finals before so I didn't prepare any differently for tonight. It's exhilarating and competing with top champions I have to step up and compete. I love the atmosphere with all of the fans and all of the noise. I love it. It makes me want to compete to the best of my ability."

400-yard medley relay winner Lacey Nymeyer, Arizona
"The energy in this arena is amazing, it is impossible to swim slow with this kind of atmosphere. I love swimming the anchor leg, my teammates did a great job of setting it up, all I had to do was touch the wall. It's pretty exciting, we have worked so hard all year long. Coming off of last year's NCAA's we set some pretty big goals for ourselves and we worked really hard and prepared for this year so now we are reaping the benefits. I don't think we could ask for a better start after day one of this meet."

400-yard medley relay runner-up Rebecca Soni, Southern California
"We are really happy with our time. [The time] is the best school time for Southern Cal."

(On young relay team)
"The relay team is two freshmen and two sophomores. We have a couple years to grow and improve as a relay team."

(On the atmosphere)
"Amazing atmosphere; It's really loud and all of our parents are here and cheering us on in golden cardinal."

Arizona Head Coach Frank Busch
"Wow, what a night. We had NCAA records, pool records. It is more than you can ask for. Whitney (Meyers) swam great and all the 50 (freestylers) were awesome. Tiffany (Manning) finished in the top six, and that is great for us. Winning the two relays was like a cherry on top of it all."