CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Delta State University swimming and diving teams delivered another strong showing on the final day of the New South Intercollegiate Swimming Conference Swimming & Diving Championships, highlighted by a national qualifying performance, multiple podium finishes, and several NCAA Division II consideration times. The Lady Statesmen finished second overall with 916 total points, while the Statesmen finished third with 875.50 total points.
Franco Defends Distance Crown with NCAA Invite Time
Senior
Mateus Franco continued his dominance in the mile, capturing the men's 1650-yard freestyle in 15:25.86. Franco's winning time met the NCAA Division II Invite standard (15:33.48) and secured another conference title in the event for the Statesmen. Franco controlled the race from the opening 500 yards and closed in 26.74 over his final 50, pulling away from the field to earn the championship and position himself strongly for NCAA postseason selection. The Brazil native is a four-time NSISC Champion in the 1650-yard free.
Strong Distance Effort on Women's Side
In the women's 1650-yard freestyle, senior
Jessica Gannon led the Lady Statesmen with a fourth-place finish in 17:25.39. Freshman
Rhianna Foster added a sixth-place effort in 17:38.93, while
Julia Maciak (18:26.73) and
Emma Greene (18:42.51) also contributed valuable team points in the grueling distance event.
Murphy Headlines Sprint Success
Sophomore
Olivia Murphy turned in one of the top swims of the night in the women's 100-yard freestyle, a school record. Murphy finished second overall in 49.22, earning an NCAA Division II Automatic (A) qualifying time (49.47 standard). Her prelim swim of 49.40 also cleared the A cut, reinforcing her status among the top sprinters in Division II.
Delta State placed four swimmers in the A final of the 100 free:
The quartet's performances provided a major points boost in one of the meet's fastest events.
Baylin Leads Men in 100 Free
On the men's side,
Ethan Baylin led Delta State in the 100-yard freestyle with a fourth-place finish in 44.03, achieving an NCAA Division II B consideration time.
Lars Hetzel added a seventh-place finish in 45.62, while
Austin Huffhines (45.85),
Sergio Rodriguez Rodriguez (46.73), Kostantin Ilijic (46.98), and Alessandro Giustolisi (47.83) contributed additional depth and points.
Kaley Davis added a first-place finish in the 200 backstroke (1:59.86), while Eudald Tosquela finished first in the 200 breaststroke (2:01.34). The 3:20.71 finish in the women's 4x100 freestyle relay set a new school record for the quartet of Murphy, Nimander, Owens, and
Aspen Shipp.
With multiple NCAA qualifying standards achieved and strong finishes across distance and sprint events, Delta State continues to build momentum heading toward NCAA postseason selections.
