Swimming and Diving Meet Notes (PDF)
CLEVELAND - The Delta State University Statesmen and Lady Statesmen will get the second semester of the 2012-13 season underway this weekend with a dual meet against NSISC-rival Ouachita Baptist at the Delta State University Aquatics Center.

The No. 22 Statesmen and No. 25 Lady Statesmen look to complete the season sweep of Ouachita Baptist in dual meets this weekend after the Green-and-White took the dual meet over the No. 19 Tigersharks and Lady Tigersharks in November in Arkadelphia. The Statesmen and Lady Statesmen also defeated OBU in the Little Rock Invitational.

Record Breakers
Maria Torres and Laura Nichols each broke records at Waggoner Pool with event victories against Ouachita Baptist last semester.

Torres broke a record with a win in the 1000-Free event, touching the wall at 10:34.13.

Nichols took the other record with a victory in the 100-Breaststroke, finishing with a 1:06.41. Her swim was .04 seconds faster than her career in-season best time as a Lady Statesmen and three seconds ahead of second place.

Still looking for .01
Statesmen sophomore Yvan Nys turned some heads at the DSU Christmas Invitational with several strong performances. Nys also jump started a collective sigh from the crowd after one of the most dominating performances at the event. In the 200-Backstroke, Nys won by 6.72 seconds but fell .01 seconds short with a 1:47.50. Nys set a Statesmen record with the swim but came just shy of the NCAA A cut time of 1:47.49. The South Africa native sets his sights on that time in an effort to punch his own ticket to nationals.

Hennebach undefeated in 100-Backstroke
Karl-Richard Hennebach remains undefeated in the 100-Backstroke on the season after a dominant run in the event through the first semester. For the fifth time in the event this season, Hennebach touched the wall first, winning by over a second with a 48:80. He broke the pool and Statesmen records with him, breaking DSU's Justin Whitaker's 2001 National Championship time.

Hennebach punched his ticket to nationals with a NCAA A cut time in the 100-Butterfly (48.00), also breaking the Statesmen record held by sophomore Vlad Zinca.

Birmingham Bound
Matthew Swaine and Conner Bennett got things rolling for Delta State at the Delta State Christmas Invitational, punching tickets to the NCAA Championships in the 1-meter diving on the first day of the event.

Swaine and Bennett both smashed the pool record in an 11-dive format that was previously held by Jonathon Field, of New Orleans, with a 349.8. Swaine took first place with a 513.2 and Bennett took second place with a 475.2. Both scores were well above the minimum 440 needed to secure a bid to the national championships in March.

New Discipline, top form
Yvan Nys swam in the 500-Free at the UALR Invitational and picked up the win. Nys won by .69 seconds and the sophomore touched the wall with a 4:44.48, four seconds faster than the best time by a Statesmen this season. More impressive, Nys swam in the event for the first time in the Green-and-White and only the third time competitively.

Nys shaved 11.5 seconds off that time at the Christmas Invitational taking second place with a 4:32.98. The time is also a very strong NCAA B cut time, and currently the 20th fastest reported time in the nation.

Dani Meerholz broke new ground in the mile swim. The sophomore competed in the event for the first time as a Lady Statesmen at the Christmas Invitational and took first place with a 17:13.15, setting a NCAA B cut time and the 12th fastest time in the nation.