CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Red Wave kicked off the 2025 Delta State Thanksgiving Invitational this Thursday, showing strong depth in the pool.
In the Women's 1000-yard freestyle, Daniela Ruiz led the way for the Red Wave with a 10th-place finish in 10:52.86, followed by Emilee Rogers in 14th at 11:09.23. The women's relay squads also made an impact, with the A team placing 5th in the 200-yard medley relay (1:47.32) and the B team finishing 7th (1:53.88).
On the men's side, Colton Bennett had a standout swim in the 1000-yard freestyle, taking 3rd with a 9:36.30, closely followed by Alan González Mujica in 4th (9:41.83), Bartu Akin in 5th (9:41.85), and Thomas Landreneau 7th (9:48.02). The men's 200-yard medley relay saw the Red Wave A team finish 2nd at 1:30.15, with the B and C teams rounding out the field in 5th and 7th respectfully.
In the 800-yard freestyle relays, the Red Wave showcased their depth in both the women's and men's squads. On the women's side, the team of Tayden Drake, Ryann Grasser, Iris McNamara, and Emma Crowe finished fourth with a time of 7:50.61, swimming strong splits throughout the race. The men's A team made an even bigger impact, racing to a second-place finish with a 6:48.04 effort. Nojus Skirutis, Alan González Mujica , Akin, and Colin Candebat combined for a fast and consistent performance.
After day one, the Henderson State men sit in second place with 209 points, while the women are currently fourth with 92 points. The Red Wave swimmers demonstrated solid performances across the nights individual and relay events, setting the tone for the rest of the Invitational. Action will continue tomorrow for day two of the 2025 Delta State Thanksgiving Invitational.
