INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI swim and dive team kicked off night one of the House of Champions invitational with prelims in the morning session and finals in the night session with platform diving between sessions. Thursday's events were highlighted by Emmaleigh Zietlow's record breaking finish in the 500 free and Alex Scott's first-place finish in the men's platform diving.
 
"This was the best start to House in my time here," said head coach Damion Dennis. "Everybody that raced today set new season bests. We had six new IUPUI top ten times, highlighted by Zietlow's school record in the 500 free which destroys the conference record. Almost all our returners were faster today than they were at House last year."
 
The Jags had 24 athletes qualify in the first half of the day for the finals session. After the prelims, Alex Scott took first place in the men's platform diving with a score of 336.40. The Lady Jags started the afternoon session with a third-place finish in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:34.94. The men's team took the second-place spot with a time of 1:20.50.
 
Zietlow then took first in the 500 free with a new IUPUI record time of 4:44.88, besting the previous record by seven seconds. Gabby Puryear-Lynch placed fourth with a time of 4:56.23. For the men, Grayson Tidwell placed eighth with a time of 4:38.95.
 
Emma Theobald then sealed the fourth-place finish in the 200 IM with a time of 2:06.13. On the men's side in the 200 IM, Ben Kimmel earned second place with a time of 1:49.68 while Logan Kelly took fourth and Dane Charleston took eighth.
 
The Jags next swam the 50 free with Avery Brooks leading the way for the women with a fifth-place finish (23.65). Spencer Jyawook tied for bronze with a time of 20.04 and Kevin Burke earned sixth (20.40).
 
IUPUI closed of the day with the 400-medley relay. The women's relay team made up of Theobald, Brooks, Puryear-Lynch and Zietlow placed fourth with an overall time of 3:49.89. On the men's side, Charleston, Logan Kelly, Jyawook and Burke took second, barely being out touched by UIndy with a time of 3:14.02.
 
"I'm really excited for tomorrow," said Dennis. "We have a handful of athletes that will be swimming their first individual race of the meet and more divers will be springboarding into action."
 
The women's team currently sits in fifth while the men are on the heels of UIndy in second.