La Crosse, Wis./Rochester, Minn. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's swimming & diving team opened its regular with a third-place finish Saturday.

The Eagles finished with 542 team points while St. Cloud State University (Minn.) was first with 994 and Truman State University (Mo.) second with 615.

The diving competition was held in UWL's Mitchell Hall while the swimming events were competed at the Rochester-Olmstead County Recreation Center Natatorium in Rochester, Minnesota.

Ben Collins, Jesse Hammes and Blake Nelson each recorded second-place individual finishes with Collins second in the 200 breaststroke (2:13.73), Hammes second in the 100 freestyle (47.02) and Nelson second in the 50 freestyle (21.29). Hammes was also fifth (21.54) in the 50 freestyle.

UWL's Caleb Jondle was sixth (2:08.84) in the 200 butterfly while Jacob Ketterling was sixth (2:00.79) in the 200 backstroke. Alex Starr finished seventh (22.08) and Jackson Plautz eighth (22.56) in the 50 freestyle.

In diving Saturday, Tony McNiff finished third (242.20 points) in the one-meter and fourth (221.85) in the three-meter. Luke Zocher placed sixth in the one (166.70) and three (143.90) while Ethan Pedersen was seventh (78.40) in the one-meter.

The Eagles had a pair of relays place third, including Nelson, Hammes, Tyler Hartmann and Ketterling in the 200 freestyle (1:26.60) and Hammes, Hartmann, Jonah Elfers and Nelson in the 200 medley (1:35.63).

UWL returns to action Saturday, October 19 at the All-Wisconsin Showcase in Brown Deer.