Delta State Men’s Swimming Opens 2026-27 Season at Magnolia Invite

Delta State University’s men’s swimming team opened its 2026-27 season with a strong performance at the Magnolia Invite on Friday. The meet was held at the Ronald G. Mayers Aquatics Center in Cleveland, Miss., and featured teams including William Carey, Meridian Community College, and Millsaps.

The Statesmen started the meet with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay. Delta State’s B relay, composed of Sandijs Cecins, Crosby Fenniman, Jake Runyon, and Austin Huffhines, finished first in 1:34.09. The A relay team of Riley Oakes, Reece Achord, Alessandro Giustolisi, and Mateus Cruz placed third in 1:34.77.

In individual events, Huffhines led a sweep of the top four spots in the 200-yard freestyle, winning in 1:41.80. Runyon was second, Emilio Garcia third, and Lars Hetzel fourth. Cruz earned a victory in the 100-yard backstroke in 51.75 seconds. Cecins finished third in 51.94, and Oakes was fifth.

Delta State also dominated the 50-yard freestyle, taking four of the top eight spots. Andrei Cseh finished fourth, Cruz was sixth, Kostantin Ilijic seventh, and Valentino Soroor eighth.

The team continued to excel in butterfly events, with Garcia placing second in the 200-yard butterfly and Giustolisi winning the 100-yard butterfly in 51.73 seconds. Oakes finished second in that race as well, with Cseh and Cecins also placing in the top six.

In the 100-yard freestyle, Hetzel finished second in 48.23 seconds. Soroor took fifth, and Carter Foster and Justin Kurgan placed seventh and eighth, respectively. Fenniman added a runner-up finish in the 200-yard backstroke, and Achord finished third in the 200-yard breaststroke.

The team also posted strong results in distance events, with Fedasz finishing second in the 1,000-yard freestyle and third in the 500-yard freestyle. Huffhines and Runyon added top-five finishes in the 200-yard individual medley.

Delta State concluded the meet with victories in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The A relay team of Hetzel, Runyon, Huffhines, and Cruz finished first in 1:24.77, while the B relay of Giustolisi, Garcia, Cecins, and Cseh finished third. The team also swept the diving competitions, with Jake Bigler winning the 1-meter and 3-meter events, and Gabriel Ledon finishing second in both.

The Statesmen will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, next weekend to face the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.

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