MONTERREY Park, Calif.—Lewis & Clark College senior Ezra Billings broke his own program record in the 50 Free and the Men's 200 Free Relay posted the fourth-fastest time in school history on Day One of the Winter Collegiate Swim Invite. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
 
Lewis & Clark kicked off their mid-season meet with strong showings across the board against a field of strong NCAA DII and DIII programs. 
 
The River Otters had two individuals earn spots in Finals on Friday night and both teams competed in two relays. 
 
MEN'S RECAP 
 
Billings broke his own program record and took first place in the 50 Free on Friday night to cap off a strong opening day for Lewis & Clark. 
 
The senior finished first out of 81 swimmers in the 50 Free. In the morning session, Billings placed second in the prelims and just missed out on breaking his own program record (20.42) with a time of 20.43. In the Finals, Billings posted a time of 20.35 to break his own mark by 0.07 seconds. He finished 0.03 seconds ahead of UC Santa Cruz's Kyle Reitan (20.38). 
 
Sophomore Sam LoCurto finished second on the River Otters with a season-best time of 21.79 (31^st place) in the 50 Free. Senior Zach Martin placed 41^st in the event with a time of 22.03. Juniors Colin Ziegler (season-best 23.94) and Aidan Beatty (career-best 24.38) finished in 70^th and 71^st places. First years Kofi Franklin (26.47) and Max Zuberbuhler (career-best 26.72) placed 75^th and 76^th overall. 
 
Senior Michael Spicer was the second River Otter to make a Final on Friday. Spicer placed 21^st out of 38 swimmers in the 500 Free. In the prelims, he notched a time of 4:52.98. First year Reid McAllister posted a season-best mark of 5:13.19 to finish 35^th overall. Spicer also placed 21^st in the Finals. He touched the wall in 4:54.72 to take 21^st place. 
 
Lewis & Clark added a top-five time in program history in the first relay of the weekend. The 200 Free Relay "A" Team of Martin, LoCurto, Spicer and Billings finished 10^th overall. They combined for a time of 1:26.14 to move up to fourth in school history. Ziegler, Beatty, Franklin and McAllister took 19^th place with a mark of 1:36.88. 
 
The River Otters had two relay teams compete in the 400 Medley Relay. The "A" team of sophomore Isaiah Frei, Martin, LoCurto, and Billings placed 14^th overall with a time of 3:35.52. The "B" team of Zuberbuhler, Franklin, McAllister and Ziegler finished 17^th with a mark of 4:09.70. 
 
WOMEN' RECAP 
Senior Elise Barton finished 35^th overall in the 50 Free and both relay teams posted season-best marks. 
 
Barton took 35^th out of 108 swimmers in the 50 Free. The senior posted a season-best time of 24.81 to improve her best mark of the year by 0.70. Senior Aniqah Gaffoor took 70^th overall with a season-best time of 25.84. Senior Kyra Milner notched a collegiate-best time of 27.97 to finish in 95^th place. Sophomore Xandra Kuenz notched a time of 30.62 to finish 103^rd. 
 
Junior Sophie Justus led three Lewis & Clark swimmers in the 500 Free. Justus beat her PR time by over eight seconds to place 71^st overall (5:41.68). Sophomore Claire Hurty notched a season-best mark of 5:47.21 to finish 73^rd. First year Emily McAnally took 77^th place with a collegiate-best time of 6:06.32. 
 
Lewis & Clark's "A" team in the 200 Free Relay beat their season-best mark by 9.93 seconds. The quartet of junior Angie Cummings, Justus, Gaffoor and Barton finished 21^st overall with a time of 1:42.99. The River Otters second team of Milner, Hurty, McAnally and senior Ella Gimon notched a time of 1:50.66 to finish 25^thoverall. 
 
In the 400 Medley Relay, Cummings, Barton, Gaffoor and Justus finished 21^st overall. They posted a time of 4:10.47 to set a new season-best mark by 3.40 seconds. McAnally, Gimon, Hurty and Milner notched a mark of 4:44.10 to finish in 25^th place. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Frei swam the 200 IM as an exhibition. The sophomore finished with a season-best time of 2:09.66 to beat his season-best mark by 4.09 seconds. 
• Billings came into the weekend with the top time in the NWC in the 50 Free this season at 21.22. He shaved off 0.87 seconds off his season-best time. Last season, he finished 11^th in the 50 Free Final at the Winter Collegiate Swim Invite with a time of 20.95. 
• Cummings and Barton both swam the 500 Free as an exhibition. Cummings posted a time of 5:22.21 to beat her PR by 1.79. Her time was just 1.21 seconds off the top-10 in program history. Barton added a career-best time of 5:36.07 – to break her PR by 26.85 seconds. 
• The River Otters men's 200 Free Relay "A" Team improved their season-best time by 1.43 seconds. They swam the fifth-fastest time in program history (1:27.57) against the University of Puget Sound on November 7.  

WHAT'S NEXT 
 
Lewis & Clark will compete on Day Two of the Winter Collegiate Swim Invite on Saturday. The prelims will begin at 9 a.m. and the finals will take place starting at 5 p.m.