CLEVELAND, MISS. – The Delta State University men's swimming and diving team kicked off their 2024-25 season as they swept William Carey University, Millsaps College and Meridian Community College in the inaugural Magnolia State Invite held at the Ronald G. Mayers Aquatic Center.
 
The Statesmen defeated William Carey 185-62, Millsaps 203-35, and Meridian Community College 205-11.
 
The Statesmen had eight first place finishes from their freshmen class including four from Michael Robinson. Jacob Hamblen, Kacper Mochnal, and Eudald Tosquella were also on the list of freshmen that shined.
 
Five Statesmen plugged national best times on the afternoon. Those Statesmen include Adam Rickert (1,000-yard Freestyle), Mochnal (200-yard Butterfly), Robinson (100-yard Freestyle), Riley Oakes (200-yard Backstroke) and Tosquella (200-yard Breaststroke).
 
With the 1-meter dive being the lone diving event, the Statesmen took the top three spots as sophomore Braden Moore got the top score in the event. Junior Bryon Croom and freshman Jake Bigler took second and third.
 
The Statesmen relay teams also had a great day in the pool as the 200-yard medley relay team of Jake Runyon, Hamblen, Robinson, and Austin Huffhines also hold the best time in the nation starting the meet with a 1:35.17 time. Also holding the best time in the nation was the 200-yard Freestyle relay team of Jake Runyon, Robinson, Huffhines, and Brooks Butler as they finished the meet with a 1:25.14 mark.
 
Huffhines took his one individual event in the 200-yard Freestyle as he edged out teammate Mateus Franco by nine tenths of a second swimming a time of 1:43.00.
 
Robinson shined in the 100-yard events as he took the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 52.48 seconds. Robinson would later take the 100-yard freestyle finishing with a time of 46.31 seconds.
 
The freshman duo of Hamblen and Tosquella headlined the 100-yard and 200-yard Breaststroke. Hamblen finished the 100-yard on top in 58.26 seconds. Tosquella had a time of 59.63 seconds. Tosquella took the 200-yard with a time of 2:08.89, while Hamblen swam a time of 2:09.24.
 
In the 200-yard Butterfly, the trio of Mochnal, Oakes and Rickert took the top three positions. Mochnal's time of 1:53.69 is marked as the best time in the nation.
 
Oakes posted a nation leading 1:56.95 mark in the 200-yard Backstroke as he took the event by nearly a 20 second margin.
 
Franco took first place in the 500-yard Freestyle as he paced to a time of 4:42. In the 100-yard Butterfly, Runyon took the top spot with a time of 51.69 seconds.
 
Delta State dominated the final individual event of the afternoon as the Statesmen took the top six spots in the 200-yard Individual Medley. Oaks edged out teammate Rickert by a hundredth of a second with a time of 1:57.73
 
The Statesmen return to the Ronald G. Mayers Aquatic Center next Friday as they host the Crimson Tide from the University of Alabama in a dual meet. The dual meet will start at 1:00 p.m. (CDT).