CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta State University swimming and diving teams return to action on Saturday, Oct.15 at the Little Rock Invitational.
 
The Statesmen will face NCAA Division I opponent Incarnate Word, while also facing off with New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference rival Henderson State. The Lady Statesmen are scheduled to swim against three NCAA Division I foes (Incarnate Word, Little Rock and North Texas). Henderson State will also compete at the event.
 
LAST TIME OUT:

• The Statesmen and Lady Statesmen defeated Rhodes College in their second meet of the season. The Statesmen swept every event in a 189-37 victory, while the Lady Statesmen claimed all but two events in a 172-69 win.

 
ABOUT THE STATESMEN:

• Matteo Fraschi leads NCAA Division II swimmers with a 55.59 in the 100-Breaststroke, and ranks second with a 2:03.96 in the 200-Breaststroke.
• Fabrice Wendel, who has competed in the sprint freestyle events at each of the last three NCAA Championships, has the fifth-best standard in the 1000-Freestyle (9:52.36).
• Mattia Schirru, who finished fourth in the 100-Freestyle at the 2016 NCAA Championships, currently ranks eighth in the same event. Schirru turned in the seventh-fastest 50-Freestyle time (21.16) on Sept. 9 at Alabama.
• The relay team of Cody Lavoie, Fraschi, Wendel and Schirru have the fourth-best time in the 200 (1:33.92) and 400-Medley relays (3:27.86).
• DSU also ranks 10^th in both the 200 (1:27.67) and 400-Freestyle (3:10.94) relay.

 
ABOUT THE LADY STATESMEN:

• Three-time NCAA All-American Anastasia Klyarovskaya owns the nation's fastest time in the 100-Backstroke with an NCAA "B" cut time of 56.67. She also ranks fourth in the 200-IM (2:09.80), and 200-Freestyle (1:53.96). The Moscow, Russia native also has the fifth-fastest time in the 200-Backstroke (2:06.74).
• Caroline Jouisse leads the nation in the 1000-Freestyle with an NCAA "B" cut time of 10:23.79. Her closest competitor, Madeline Pitt of West Florida, trails by almost than six seconds (10:29.15). Jouisse also ranks third in the 500-Freestyle (5:04.93) and fifth in the 200 (1:54.03).
• Celina Batsel ranks fifth in the 50-Freestyle (24.37) and ninth in the 100-Breaststroke (1:07.22), while Chloe Bennett is seventh in the 100-Freestyle (53.56).
• Melanie Tombers ranks fifth in NCAA Division II with a 10:40.87 in the 1000-Freestyle, and ninth in the 500 with a 5:12.51.
• 2016 All-American Kirsten Stroven has the seventh-best time in the 100-Breaststroke (1:06.68) and the 10^th-best time standard in the 200 (2:26.86)
• Newcomers Hannah Hummer (8^th-100 Butterfly, 59.01) and Lexi Monty (9^th  200-Backstroke, 2:08.51) have also turned in top-10 standards.

 
SERIES NOTE:

•  The Statesmen and Lady Statesmen last competed at the Little Rock Invite in 2012, where both teams finished in second place.