Delta State men win multiple events at Magnolia Invite

Delta State University’s men’s swimming and diving team won multiple events and recorded several top-three finishes Friday at the 2026 Magnolia Invite at the Ronald G. Mayers Aquatics Center in Cleveland, Mississippi. The field included William Carey, Meridian Community College and Millsaps.

Delta State opened with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay. The B relay of Sandijs Cecins, Crosby Fenniman, Jake Runyon and Austin Huffhines won in 1:34.09, while the A relay of Riley Oakes, Reece Achord, Alessandro Giustolisi and Mateus Cruz placed third in 1:34.77.

Huffhines led a Delta State sweep of the top four places in the 200-yard freestyle, winning in 1:41.80. Runyon was second, Emilio Garcia third and Lars Hetzel fourth. Cruz also won the 100-yard backstroke in 51.75 seconds, with Cecins third and Oakes fifth.

Giustolisi won the 100-yard butterfly in 51.73, while Garcia placed second in the 200-yard butterfly in 1:57.03. Hetzel was second in the 100-yard freestyle in 48.23, and Fenniman finished second in the 200-yard backstroke in 1:59.46.

Alan Fedasz finished second in the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:06.33 and third in the 500-yard freestyle in 4:59.60. Huffhines was third in the 200-yard individual medley in 1:59.91, followed by Runyon in fourth at 2:00.71.

Delta State closed the meet by winning the 200-yard freestyle relay. The A relay of Hetzel, Runyon, Huffhines and Cruz finished in 1:24.77, while the B relay placed third in 1:27.43.

The Statesmen also swept both diving events. Jake Bigler won the 1-meter competition with 277.28 points and the 3-meter event with 271.65 points. Gabriel Ledon finished second in both, scoring 271.65 points in the 1-meter event and 254.78 in the 3-meter competition.

Delta State will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, next weekend to face the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide.

Source: Delta State Athletics.