LANCASTER, Pa. – The Washington and Lee men's swimming team completed the first day of competition at the Franklin & Marshall Invitational on Friday, and is currently fourth with 359 points.
 
Highlights from the meet:
 
-F&M leads the field through the first day with 487 points, followed by Mount St. Mary's (407.5), Mary Washington (369.5), W&L (359) and Shippensburg (288) to round out the Top 5. The field of competition is completed by Ramapo (150), York (Pa.) (116), Montclair State (101) and Saint Vincent (68).
 
-Sophomores Malachi Eberly (Reading, Pa. / Wilson) and Will Hughes (Fairfax, Va. / James W. Robinson Secondary) and first-years Baxter Smelzer (Greensboro, N.C. / Page) and Devin Bateman (Fredericksburg, Va. / Stafford) led off the meet with a fifth-place finish in the 200 free relay (1:25.59). Individually, Smelzer (21.56) and Bateman (21.61) went on to place sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 50 free.
 
-First-year Matt Fritz (Reston, Va. / South Lakes), senior Steve Warren (Westfield, N.J. / Westfield), junior Dawson Kramer (Taylors, S.C. / Eastside) and Bateman finished fifth in the 400 medley relay (3:28.78). Hughes and Eberly were joined by junior Todd Echols (Winston Salem, N.C. / RJ Reynolds) and first-year Payton Crawford (Troutman, N.C. / South Iredell) on the eighth-place 400 medley relay (3:35.89) team.
 
-Echols rounded out the W&L individuals to finish Top 8 with an eighth-place effort in the 200 IM (1:59.21).
 
Top-eight finishes:
 
-Smelzer, Eberly, Bateman, Hughes – 5th place 200 free relay (1:25.59)
-Fritz, Warren, Bateman, Kramer – 5th place 400 medley relay (3:28.78)
-Hughes, Echols, Crawford, Eberly – 8th place 400 medley relay (3:35.89)
-Todd Echols – 8th place 200 IM (1:59.21)
-Baxter Smelzer – 6th place 50 free (21.56)
-Devin Bateman – 7th place 50 free (21.61)
 
Up next:
 
The Generals will return for the second day of the Franklin & Marshall Invitational on Saturday, with preliminary races at 10:00 am, followed by championship races at 6:00 pm.