Cleveland, Miss.— Delta State University’s Statesmen and Lady Statesmen Swim and Dive teams hosted the New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference Championships from February 18-22. Both the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen finished the meet in second place.
The Lady Statesmen scored 954.5 points throughout the meet, coming second to the University of West Florida. They finished well ahead of third and fourth place teams Ouachita Baptist University and Henderson State University.
Highlights from the meet for the Lady Statesmen include several qualifications for the NCAA National championships taking place in Indianapolis, Indiana as well as a pool record from Janne Bodemer. Bodemer would finish first in the 200-yard butterfly, winning the NSISC Championship and breaking the pool record with a time of 1:59.46. The pool record was formerly held by Delta State University’s national champion in the 200-yard butterfly, Celeste Turner. Zinna Nimander earned an invitation to the NCAA National Championships in both the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly with times of 23.08 and 54.85. Mikayla Kloth finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly, earning an invite to the NCAA National Championships with a time of 54.91. Ave Owens would also earn an invite to the NCAA National Championships with her time of 50.66 in the 100-yard freestyle. Olivia Murphy and Kaley Davis earned NCAA consideration times in the 100-yard backstroke, with times of 55.15 and 55.20 respectively. Diver Reagan Fulton would finish in third place on both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events, earning NCAA National Championship consideration scores.
Members of the Delta State University Swim and Dive team cheer on their teammates at the NSISC Conference Championship meet.
The Statesmen scored 1068.5 points en route to a second-place finish, just behind Ouachita Baptist University. The Statesmen finished the meet ahead of third-place team, Henderson State University. During the five-day meet, the Statesmen swam to seven individual first place finishes, as well as one first place finish in a relay. To start the meet, the 800-yard freestyle relay team of Jake Runyon, Simon Pereira, Austin Huffhines, and Mateus Franco earned an invitation to the NCAA National Championships with a time of 6:33.25. In the 1,000-yard freestyle, Mateus Franco took home the first-place finish with a time of 9:12.15, also earning an invitation to the NCAA National Championships. Franco finished over six seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Franco continued his success by winning the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:33.64. Franco finished nearly eight seconds ahead of the rest of the field in this event. In the 50-yard freestyle, Statesmen swimmers Ethan Baylin and Michael Robinson would finish first and second respectively, with times of 20.06 and 20.08. Later in the meet, Michael Robinson would win the 100-yard butterfly from the outside lane one, finishing with a time of 48.10. Robinson also took home the first-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 43.60. Robinson ended the NSISC Championships as the men’s co-swimmer of the meet. Diver Ryan Whaley would finish first in the 3-meter event, and second in the 1-meter event, earning a spot at the NCAA National Championship meet as well as the men’s diver of the meet award. Sophomore Riley Oakes won the 200-yard backstroke with an NCAA consideration time of 1:46.58. The Statesmen relay team of Ethan Baylin, Jake Runyon, Brooks Butler, and Michael Robinson won the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:20.91.
The Lady Statesmen and Statesmen will be back in action in their final competition of the season from March 11-15 at the NCAA National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.
