Henderson State delivered one of its strongest sessions of the meet so far on Day 2 of the NSISC Championships, highlighted by a school record, multiple NCAA B cuts, a relay title, and overwhelming depth in the Men's 200 Individual Medley.
The defining moment of the night came in the Men's 200 IM, where the Reddies controlled the championship final. Henderson placed six of the eight swimmers in the A final, an extraordinary display of depth and dominance on the conference stage. Colin Candebat led the charge with a record-breaking performance, winning the conference title in 1:46.74. His swim shattered the Henderson State school record, met the NCAA Division II Invite standard, and currently places him in qualifying position for nationals.
Nojus Skirutis followed with a second-place finish in 1:48.93, earning an NCAA B cut and adding major team points. Avery Henke placed fourth, Hunter Rytting finished fifth, Stevie Balistreri took seventh, and Oskar Cebula rounded out the A final in eighth, giving Henderson six scoring spots in the championship heat.
The depth extended beyond the A final. Emiliano Pina added points in the B final with a strong 15th-place finish, showing the Reddies' strength throughout the event field.
Henderson also made a major impact in the distance events. Colton Bennett claimed bronze in the Men's 1000 Freestyle with a time of 9:26.63. The Reddies placed four swimmers in the A final, with Bartu Akin finishing fourth, Alan González Mujica sixth, and Thomas Landreneau seventh to stack critical points and maintain momentum in the team standings.
On the women's side, Emma Crowe secured a podium finish in the 200 IM, placing third in 2:04.92 and earning an NCAA B cut. In the B final, Irem Erktan and Ryann Grasser added valuable swims to round out Henderson's presence in the event.
Sprint speed was on full display in the Men's 50 Freestyle. Olivér Pózvai raced to a runner-up finish in 20.28, earning an NCAA B cut. Gavin Kock placed fourth, Tristin Ferguson finished sixth, and Vitor Sa added a seventh-place performance in the A final. In the B final, Scott Doll contributed additional points for the Reddies.
Relay action capped the night as the Men's 4x50 Medley team of Avery Henke, Oskar Cebula, Colin Candebat, and Olivér Pózvai captured the conference title in 1:28.08 in a tightly contested race. The women's 4x50 Medley Relay squad of Emma Crowe, Monroe Chittum, Raven Roberts, and Shelby Travis earned a third-place finish to close the session.
Through two days of the five-day championship meet, the Henderson State men sit in first place with 319 points, while the women currently stand fourth with 123 points. With a school record, multiple NCAA B cuts, a relay championship, and six swimmers in a single A final, the Reddies have firmly positioned themselves as a force as the meet heads into its final three days.
