COLUMBIA, Ky. -- The women's swimming program at Shawnee State posted a terrific effort on the opening day of the Dr. Dillery Fall Frenzy at Lindsey Wilson University in Columbia, Ky. Friday evening, as true freshman swimmer Kaylee France made a major statement in her very first collegiate meet with the Bears by clocking a 25.58 to nab a NAIA provisional cut time in the 50 yard freestyle while Shawnee State added in three runner-up finishes and five top-five showings as an entire team to finish the opening day of the competitive meet fourth in the team standings.
France, another standout from Trinidad and Tobago, led the way with her terrific 25.58, hitting the exact time needed to match the 50 yard freestyle provisional cut standard while placing third in a deep field of 25 swimmers. De-Nicha Lewis, a senior veteran who, like France, also hails from Trinidad and Tobago, also posted an impressive effort by posting a 25.63, just five one-hundredths off of the provisional cut time on the opening day of the season in the 50 free while finishing fourth.

Both swimmers only finished behind Lindsey Wilson's Natalia Gorska, who finished third in the 2025 NAIA Women's Swimming and Diving National Championships in the 100 yard backstroke, and Indiana Wesleyan's Marta Sinsabaugh, who finished third in the 2025 NAIA Women's Swimming and Diving National Championships in the 50 yard freestyle herself.

Their efforts were preceded by Abigail Bosler, who posted a terrific mark of her own in the 200 yard individual medley. Bosler, in fact, came just eight one-hundredths off of a meet-winning time in the event, swimming a 2:20.73 and finishing second out of 18 competitors in the event. Only Indiana Wesleyan's Reyna Hoffman, who swam a 2:20.65, posted a faster time in the water in the 200 yard IM.

Bosler added in an eighth-place finish in the 50 yard freestyle, completing yet another strong outing for the senior from Westerville, Ohio.

In relay competition, Shawnee State proved to be stout in both the 200 yard freestyle relay and the 400 yard medley relay.

France, Lewis, Bosler and Emilie Wasnich swam a 1:43.31 in the 200 yard freestyle relay, less than a second back of Indiana Wesleyan's meet-winning 1:42.60, and in the 400 yard medley relay, the same quartet posted a 4:12.41, less than two seconds back of Lindsey Wilson's meet-winning 4:10.53. The Bears beat out Indiana Wesleyan's A squad, who swam a 4:12.97 in the event Friday evening -- an impressive feat considering that Indiana Wesleyan placed eighth with its A squad at the 2025 NAIA Women's Swimming and Diving National Championships in March. Shawnee State ultimately finished second out of the seven teams that competed in the 200 yard freestyle relay, and second out of nine teams in the 400 yard medley relay.

Overall, Shawnee State finished second only to Indiana Wesleyan in the 200 yard freestyle relay, who also finished eighth nationally in the event at the 2025 NAIA Women's Swimming and Diving National Championships, and Lindsey Wilson in the 400 yard medley relay, who finished as the NAIA National Runner-Up in the event in the 2025 NAIA Women's Swimming and Diving National Championships.
  Shawnee State will be back in action Saturday morning at 9 a.m. for the second and final day of the 13th Annual Dr. Dillery Fall Frenzy, with action commencing throughout the day. Updates will be provided on www.ssubears.com as well as various social media handles and platforms.