AUBURN, Ala. -- Maggie Bowen won her third straight 200-yard individual medley title Thursday as defending champion Auburn took the lead after the first day of the NCAA Swimming and Diving championships.

The Tigers scored 168.5 points, taking the lead over Georgia (123.3) and Texas (114.4) to start the three-day event.

Auburn's 400-yard medley relay team of Kirsty Coventry, Bowen, Margaret Hoelzer and Becky Short set new NCAA and U.S. Open records with a time of 3:31.45.

The first four events of the session were won by the defending NCAA champions. Georgia won the 200-yard freestyle relay, Flavia Rigamonti of SMU won the 500-yard freestyle and Georgia's Maritza Correia won the 50-yard freestyle to join Bowen as repeat winners

In the one-meter springboard competition, Houston diver Yulia Pakhalina claimed first place with 339.70 points.