GREENSBORO, N.C. – Hamilton College's Nathaniel Taft '27 finished in sixth place in the championship final of the men's 50-yard freestyle on the first day of the 2024 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships at Greensboro Aquatic Center on Wednesday, March 20.
 
Jade Matthias '26 tied for 18^th place in the preliminary heats of the women's 50 free and nearly qualified for the evening's finals. Matthias finished first in her heat in a personal-best time of 23.54 seconds, which puts her second on the team's top 10 times list. She would have finished 16^th by herself and earned a spot in the evening's consolation final with a time just five one-hundredths of a second faster.
 
In the men's championship final, Taft was last after the first 25 yards with a time of 9.75 seconds. He had the third-fastest second 25 yards in 10.21 seconds, but couldn't catch the leaders. He finished with a time of 19.96 seconds. Tobe Obichi of Massachusetts Institute of Technology was the event winner in 19.66 seconds.
 
Taft took first place in his heat with a time of 19.91 seconds, which was the third-fastest performance out of 47 swimmers in the morning prelims. He owns the team record with a time of 19.83 seconds.
 
Taft, who generated 13 team points for the Continentals, is back in the pool on Thursday, March 21 for the 200 free. The preliminary heats for the men are expected to start around 11:30 a.m. Taft will be in lane four in the fourth heat.