EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The Delta State swimming and diving program opened competition at the 2026 NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Championships Tuesday evening at the Deaconess Aquatic Center, with the Lady Statesmen earning points in the opening event of the national meet.

The Delta State women's 800-yard freestyle relay team placed 13th overall with a time of 7:30.04, earning eight team points to begin the championships.

The relay squad of Kennedy Cleasant, Janne Bodemer, Mikayla Kloth, and Aspen Shipp combined for the 7:30.04 finish in the timed finals event. Cleasant led off the relay with a split of 1:52.25, followed by Bodemer (1:53.52), Kloth (1:53.36), and Shipp closing the race in 1:50.91 to secure the scoring position for the Lady Statesmen.

Delta State also saw success on the diving boards as Santiago Santodomingo qualified for the NCAA Championships in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events, giving the Statesmen a pair of opportunities to score points later in the week.

Following the opening night of competition, Delta State sits 13th in the women's team standings with eight points.

The NCAA Division II Championships continue Wednesday with preliminary heats in the morning and finals in the evening at the Deaconess Aquatic Center.