The 19th-ranked Hope College men's swimming and diving team is in fourth place after the first day of competition at the D3 shootout, which is being hosted by the University of Chicago at the Myers-McLoraine Pool. 

Hope tallied 237 points in the opening session. The host Maroons lead the field with 348 points, while Washington University in St. Louis (299.5 points) and Pomona-Pitzer (294 points) round out the top three.

Chicago is hosting the fourth edition of the D3 Shootout, where each of the 10 teams participating entered eight swimmers plus a diver to compete. The format of the meet allows each team to enter two swimmers in each event – one in an A flight and the other in a B flight. 

The meet features some of the best teams in NCAA Division III from across the country, including #2 Chicago, #9 WashU, #15 Pomona-Pitzer, #18 Rochester Institute of Technology, #22 SUNY-Geneseo, #23 Washington & Lee, and #24 Swarthmore, along with Trinity (Texas) and UW-Eau Claire.

Freshman Luke Newcomb (Brighton, Michigan / Brighton HS) was the top finisher for the Flying Dutchmen, placing third in the A final of the 100 breaststroke with a season-best mark of 55.95. Newcomb was four-tenths of a second away from an NCAA "B" cut as the top three finishers all touched under 56 seconds. 

In the 100 backstroke, senior Colin Kalkman (Zeeland, Michigan / Holland Christian) posted a season-best time of 51.46 to place 4th in the A final.

A pair of freshmen – Joe Engle (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) and Everett Cox (Sugar Land, Texas / Logos Prep) – posted fifth-place finishes in their respective heats of the 200 freestyle. Engle swam a season-best 1:42.50 in the A final, while Cox touched the wall with a season-best mark of 1:42.30 in the B final.

Hope also placed second in the mixed 400 medley relay, as the team of senior Greta Gidley (Franklin, Michigan / Mercy), senior Dallas Fisher (Highland, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central), senior Sara Kraus (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford), and sophomore Josh Bordovsky (Herndon, Virginia / South Lakes) each swam a 100 IM to combine for a time of 3:41.48.

The D3 shootout concludes on Saturday, Nov. 9, with 10 events taking place during the final session, which begins at 11:30 a.m. Central.