After a brief night’s opener to the men’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, Georgia is exactly where it hoped to be – in the top 10.

The Bulldogs amassed a total of 36 points, good enough for the 10th spot in the standings. Texas, a loaded team that the Bulldogs lost to earlier in the season, are sitting at No. 1 with 171 points.

“If we wanted to finish in the top 10, we needed a great first day to get us going and we did just that,” head coach Jack Bauerle said in a release. “Our goal for these guys coming into the meet was to finish in the top 12 and if we can finish in the top 10 that would be a dream.”

As expected, the Bulldogs received major points from junior Troyden Prinsloo, who placed fourth in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:13.28, giving the team 15 points out of its total of 36.

Freshman Peter Benner, gained some NCAA experience immediately, providing three points for the Bulldogs in his 14th place finish in the 200-yard individual medley.

The other 18 points of Georgia’s 36 came from a ninth place finish in the 400-yard medley relay. Seniors Chris Spooner and Neil Versfeld swam the first two legs of the relay, swimming 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke, respectively.

Standout sophomore Mark Dylla swam the butterfly leg and freshman Michael Arnold finished off the relay, swimming the freestyle leg.

The relay finished with a time of 3:08.46, good enough for a first place finish in the consolation final, ninth place overall.