WATERVILLE, Maine - The Husson women's swimming & diving team scored 42 points, good for a ninth-place finish at the seventh annual Maine Collegiate Invitational on Friday and Saturday inside the Aquatics Center at the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center on the campus of Colby College

No. 16 Bowdoin College won the meet with 956 points to finish ahead of No. 15 Bates College (860), which edged out No. 21 Wheaton College (Mass.) (792.5) for the runner-up spot. Colby College placed fourth with 570 points, while the University of Maine tallied 480.5 points to finish fifth. The University of New England and Assumption College tied for sixth place, while the Eagles finished six points behind the Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy (48) for eighth place.

The team of junior Kayla Payson, sophomore Erin Madden, graduate student Ava Emery, and freshman Emma Thomas earned the Eagles four points with a 24th-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:49.70 to begin the meet.

Payson finished 11th in the 200-yard butterfly with a new school record time of 2:20.11 and swam the second fastest time in school history in the 500-yard freestyle with a 5:34.43.

Senior Abbie Howe, Madden, Payson and Emery finished 22nd in the 200-yard medley relay with a 1:59.92, while the same four swimmers brought home a 18th place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay (4:00.41). With their combined efforts in both events, the women added 12 points to Husson's overall point total. Emery also placed 13th in the 200-yard butterfly with a 2:23.68, the second fastest time in program history.

All three of the Husson divers contributed to its team score on the one-meter board, combining for 14 team points. Freshman Riley Mahoney tallied 176.30 points in a six-dive set to finish 10th, while junior Shelby Peterson scored 166.35 points to post a 12th-place effort, Freshman Lily Butler recorded 135.00 points to finish 15th.   

The Eagles do not return to competition until Saturday, Jan. 7 when Husson travels to Standish for a double-dual meet with Gordon College and Saint Joseph's College of Maine.