The Genesee Community College swimming and diving team opened their season in Bradford, Pa. with the 16th annual Panther Relays at the Paul Duke Aquatics Center on the University of Pittsburgh Bradford Campus Oct. 14.

The Cougars finished third overall with 156 points in garnering six first-place finishes, three second-place finishes, and three third-place finishes in the selected events they swam in of the 16 total.

Overall, Genesee had a dozen top-three finishes between men's, women's and mixed competition.

Genesee's point total was just 10 behind second-place Penn State Altoona and 20 points behind leader and host University of Pittsburgh Bradford - both four-year colleges.

The women took three first-place finishes, the men took two and Genesee also had a first-place during one of the mixed events.

Capturing the most first-place finishes for Genesee were Nanako Shiozawa and Angel Priest with four apiece. The pair was first in women's butterfly relay (3 X 100), backstroke relay (3 X 100), I.M. relay (3 X 100), and the mixed freestyle relay of 400 yards.

Also part of those relay-winning teams for the women was Natalie Amico (butterfly and I.M.) and Mady Roth (backstroke).

Three members of the men's team had a pair of first-place wins each that included Joan Ferrer, Ferran Martinez, and Matthew Langerman. Ferrer and Martinez were part of the first-place relay teams that competed in butterfly (3 X 100) and freestyle (5 X 100) competition, while Langerman was involved in the latter men's relay and the mixed freestyle relay (400 yards).

Also part of those relay-winning teams for the men were Ryan Mahaney (butterfly), Brandon Brown (freestyle relay 5 X 100), and Nathan Richardson in the freestyle mixed relay (400 yards).

The Cougars open up their divisional meets by hosting Erie Community College Oct. 25 at 6 p.m.