GREENSBORO -- With the sound of the beep out of Lane 8 and blinking lights signaling the start of the race, North Carolina A&T swimming kicked off another year of competition.

The 2012 All-NC Invitational hosted by N.C. State at the Greensboro Aquatic Center featured more than 30 college teams.

"It was an excellent opportunity, this early in the season, to prepare them mentally," Hendrix said.

Over the course of the two-day meet, freshman Kenya Dunn had an impressive debut. Dunn scored for the Aggies by completing her 50-yard freestyle in 25.57. Fellow freshman Jade Hill also scored. Hill finished the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:11.76.

Hendrix said the team's confidence and performance increased as the meet went on. A&T was one of the youngest teams there with seven freshmen on the 17-woman roster.

"Overall, I was very pleased at the end of the meet," Hendrix said. "I told them, the other teams put their pants on the same way. They put their bathing suits on the same way. There's no difference," Hendrix said.

The Aggies will swim again on Friday, when they host Radford at Corbett Sports Center at 5 p.m.