RESULTS: NIGHT 4
CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta State University men's swimming and diving team claimed its third consecutive New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference title on Saturday at the Ronald G. Mayers Aquatic Center.
With the win, the Statesmen became the first school in conference history to win all individual swim and dive events in a single championship weekend.
OFF THE STARTING BLOCKS
EVENT: NSISC Championships
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Feb. 22 | 5 p.m.
LOCATION: Ronald G. Mayers Aquatics Center
STATESMEN: 1,246.5 points, NSISC Champions
GET SOCIAL: @DeltaStateSWD
INSIDE THE LANE LINES
- John Stewart got the night started in the men's 1650 freestyle with a 15:42.87 to take home gold, while Ben Kelly snagged silver with a time of 15:48.22 for DSU.
- Giulio Brugnoni added another top finish in the men's 100 freestyle with a 44.23.
- Emanuel Fava brought home another title for the Statesmen, in the men's 200 backstroke, with a time of 1:46.95.
- Matey Rezashki and Savio Ragonesi went first and second in the men's 200 breaststroke. Rezashki posted a 1:57.87, while Ragonesi went 1:59.15.
- The Statesmen swam a 3:01.75 to finish second on the men's side in the 400 freestyle relay.
ON THE BOARDS
- On the men's three-meter diving board, Kyle Weesner captured an NSISC crown with a score of 504.60. DD Blankenship (496.75) turned in a silver finish and Hunter McCarter (414.35) placed third as well.
NOTABLES
- Brugnoni was named the men's swimmer of the meet for the third consecutive year, and Weesner also won his second straight men's diver of the meet award.
- Head coach Dan'l Murray was named men's Coach of the Year and diving coach Kyle Friesenhahn was named NSISC men's diving Coach of the Year.
- The Statesmen claimed their third consecutive team title (2018, 2019 & 2020) and 11th total in school history.
- For the first time in NSISC history, Delta State won all individual swim and dive events in a single championship.
- Delta State broke Ouachita Baptist's previous record of total events won, posting 18 titles.
- DSU also set a new NSISC record for largest margin of victory, winning the team title by 439.5 points. DSU's 2016 team held the previous record of 324.
- Murray has now led the Statesmen to five team titles, just one behind former Statesmen head coach and current Athletic Director Emeritus Ronnie Mayers (six team titles).
- Murray also became the second coach in NSISC history to reach the 100th conference event title mark, doing so in his 10th year at the helm. He is the quickest coach to reach the mark. Coak Matthews of Henderson State hit the century title mark in his 16th year.
- Delta State swimming and diving is the first school in conference history to surpass the 200 event titles mark. The Statesmen now have 205 conference event wins. The next closest team sits at 147 events.
FINAL TEAM SCORES (THROUGH EVENT #42)
1. Delta State University - 1,246.5
2. Henderson State University - 807
3. University of Texas of the Permian Basin - 639
4. Ouachita Baptist University - 377.5
5. University of Montevallo - 275
UP NEXT
Statesmen qualifiers will travel to the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships March 11-14 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
