HOUSTON. -- Natalie Turner broke a 15-year old Northwest Conference record in the 500-yard Freestyle, and Samantha Kephart scored in the 50 Freestyle as both Pirates placed on the first day of competition at the 2007 NCAA Division III Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Houston.

Natalie Turner	Samantha Kephart

Turner (Fr., South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) finished second in the consolation finals of the 500 Free (10th overall) with a time of 4:59.66. The previous Whitworth record of 5:01.17 was set last season by Kephart. The old NWC record of 5:01.01 was set in 1992 by Karen Hanson of PLU. Turner's time was the sixth-fastest of the night, but she could not finish higher than 9th place after qualifying for the Consolation Final in the morning preliminaries with a time of 5:02.77.

Kephart (Jr., Santa Maria, Calif.) placed 14th in the 50 Free with a time of 24.30. Kephart posted the second fastest time in Whitworth history and the fastest in the NWC this season with a 24.26 in the morning preliminary heats.

The pair have combined to score 10 points in the meet, currently 21st in the team standings.

On Friday Kephart will defend her national title in the 100-yard Butterfly, while Turner competes in the 200-yard Freestyle.