MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Amherst College women's swimming and diving team captured the first leg of the Little Three Championship with a 181.5 -113.5 dual meet win over Wesleyan University on Monday evening at the Webster Family Natatorium.

Four Mammoths won two individual races each. Senior Grace Tarantola and sophomore Ali Lacroix teamed for a relay win in addition to two individual victories. The meet highlighted the sprint races with 50-yard events in each stroke. The Mammoths improved to 2-0 on the young season with the win while the Cardinals fell to 0-3.

The race for the Little Three Championship will continue when Williams visits Wesleyan on Dec. 10 and conclude when Amherst hosts Williams on Jan. 7. The Mammoths, ranked 14th in the nation and fifth in the Northeast-North region in the latest CSCAA Division III poll, return to action on Saturday, Dec. 3, hosting NESCAC rival Middlebury at 1 p.m. in Pratt Pool.

MEET HIGHLIGHTS:

* The meet began with Tarantola and Lacroix teaming with junior Lauren Eng and first-year Kate Aubrecht to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1:48.31.

* Lacroix went on to sweep the breaststroke races, winning the 50-yard breaststroke in 30.90 and capturing the 100-yard breaststroke for the second meet in a row with a time of 1:06.99.

* Tarantola swept the backstroke races, winning the 50-yard backstroke in 27.59 and winning the 100-yard backstroke for the third straight meet against Wesleyan with a time of 59.95.

* Eng went on to win the 50-yard butterfly in 26.59, defending her title from this meet last year.

* Sophomore Sydney Bluestein swept the diving events, posting a six-dive score of 287.16 on the one-meter board and 278.84 on the three-meter board.

* First-year Alex Zorn won two freestyle races, taking the 50-yard freestyle in 24.64 and winning the 100-yard freestyle for the second straight meet in 53.98.

* First-year Diane Koo won her first collegiate start in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:41.30.