LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Henderson State Red Wave turned in a strong showing at the Little Rock Fall Invite this weekend, earning numerous top finishes against Delta State, Saint Louis, and Little Rock. The men's squad posted several podium results across distance, sprint, and relay events, while the women's team continued to show depth and early-season consistency.

Freshman Bartu Akin led the way for the Red Wave men, winning the 1000 freestyle with a time of 9:59.54, while teammate Alan González Mujica finished second (10:02.57) to give Henderson a one-two sweep in the event. Thomas Landreneau also placed fifth (10:16.92), marking three Reddies in the top five.

In the sprint events, Tristin Ferguson recorded a second-place finish in the 50 freestyle (20.86), followed closely by Vitor Sa, who tied for third (21.03). Scott Doll added another top-five result, placing fifth (21.42). The Red Wave dominated the 50 butterfly, placing three swimmers in the top five: Nojus Skirutis (third, 22.46), Colin Candebat (fourth, 22.63), and Colton Bennett (fifth, 23.21).

The Red Wave also excelled in the breaststroke. Oskar Cebula earned second in the 50 (25.13) and fourth in the 100 (56.44), while Gavin Kock took third in the 100 (56.44) and fourth in the 50 (25.95). Henderson's 800 freestyle relay team of Candebat, Skirutis, Hunter Rytting, and Bennett capped off the men's highlights with a second-place finish (6:46.79).

On the women's side, Shelby Travis earned a top-10 finish in the 50 freestyle (seventh, 24.65) and helped lead the 800 freestyle relay team of Emma Crowe, Iris McNamara, and Ryann Grasser to a fifth-place finish (7:56.30).

In distance competition, Daniela Ruiz and Emilee Rogers delivered standout swims in the 1000 freestyle, finishing third (11:27.36) and fourth (11:35.04) respectively. Raven Roberts placed eighth in the 50 butterfly (27.09) and 11th in the 100 backstroke (1:02.23).

In the team standings, the Red Wave men finished second overall with 738 points, narrowly behind Saint Louis, while the women's squad placed fourth with 438 points. The Red Wave men compiled several top-three results across multiple events, while the women's squad continued to build momentum through strong relay and distance performances.

Up Next –
Henderson State returns home next week to face Oklahoma Christian University on Thursday, Oct. 16, inside the Duke Wells Center Pool.