The Bowdoin women’s swimming team has an NCAA Division III national champion for the first time in over four decades, after freshman Natalie Garre won the 500-yard freestyle Wednesday night in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Garre’s time 4:44.90 breaks her own school record of 4:47.63 set at last month’s New England Small College Athletic Conference championships. Garre is the second Bowdoin female swimmer to win a national championship, and the first since Lissa McGrath Millett won three individual medley titles between 1980-83.

Garre, the NESCAC rookie of the year, will also compete in Thursday’s 400 IM, Friday’s 800 free relay and Saturday’s 1650 freestyle.

Sydney Jones earns All-American honors

For the second year in a row, Bowdoin senior guard Sydney Jones was named a first-team Division III All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

Jones led Bowdoin to an undefeated regular season, its second-straight NESCAC championship and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament before the Polar Bears (29-1) were defeated by Smith College in the Sweet Sixteen.

Jones, the first back-to-back player of the year in conference history, led Bowdoin in scoring (16.4 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg), assists (3.5 apg) and steals (2.6 spg).

Former Mt. Ararat standout and current Bates junior forward Elsa Daulerio earned an honorable mention.

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