FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – The 2018 Pac-12 Swimming and Diving Championships got underway Wednesday, as UCLA finished just shy of registering a new school record in the 800 Free Relay. The Bruins picked up fifth- and sixth-place finishes to finish in a tie for fifth on the overall leaderboard after an abbreviated Day 1.

The third heat of the 200 Medley Relay featured UCLA's team of Emma Schanz, Sarah Kaunitz, Amy Okada and Katie Grover, swimming alongside groups from Oregon State and Arizona State. The Sun Devils (1:38.72) would barely edge the Bruins (1:38.89), but UCLA's time would still go for a season-best mark and a sixth-place overall finish. Grover brought the Bruins home, turning in a 21.97 split on the anchor leg.

The California "A" team won the day's first race, clocking in at Pac-12 Championships-record time of 1:34.13. The Bruins' "B" team of Sabrina Kwok, Emily Honng, Marie-Pierre Delisle and Carly Reid posted an exhibition-swim time of 1:44.40.

UCLA's team of Kenisha Liu, Grover, Sandra Soe and Margaux Verger Gourson came out ready in the third and final heat of the 800 Free Relay, swimming against the best from Cal, USC, Stanford, Arizona and Arizona State. The Bruins clocked in more than five seconds faster than their seed time to take fifth at 7:04.64. Linnea Mack, Liu, Grover and Madison White hold the school record of 7:04.59, set at last year's NCAA Championships.

Thursday's program features the 500 Free, 200 IM and 50 Free competitions (10:30 a.m. preliminaries, 6 p.m. finals), as well as the 200 Free Relay (6 p.m.). It will also mark the first day of diving, as 1-Meter prelims start at 2:15 p.m., with the final taking place at 4:45 p.m.

TEAM RANKINGS – THROUGH EVENT 2

1. California - 128
2. Stanford - 112
3. USC - 108
4. Arizona - 104
5. UCLA - 98
5. Arizona State - 98
7. Washington State - 92
8. Utah - 88
9. Oregon State - 42