ARKADELPHIA, Ar. — The Henderson State men's and women's swimming and diving teams delivered strong performances this Friday night at the Battle of the Ravine, finishing second overall behind Ouachita Baptist in a tightly contested dual meet.
The Red Wave opened the meet with momentum, as both relay squads posted strong finishes in the 400 medley relay. The men's A relay team of Avery Henke, Oskar Cebula, Colin Candebat, and Olivér Pózvai touched first with a time of 3:21.74, while the women's A relay placed first as well in 3:58.97 to give Henderson State an early advantage.
The Red Wave controlled the distance events, highlighted by Daniela Ruiz's victory in the women's 1,650 freestyle with a time of 18:03.69. On the men's side, Alan González Mujica captured first in the 500 freestyle (4:37.01), while Colton Bennett and Bartu Akin added second- and third-place finishes in the 1,000 freestyle to stack key points.
Nojus Skirutis delivered a standout performance in the 200 butterfly, posting an NCAA Division II "B" cut with his time in the event. Skirtus's swim not only secured key points for the Red Wave but also marked a significant milestone in his season, placing him among the top Division II performers nationally in the 200 fly.
In the individual medley events, Henderson State dominated both races. Emma Crowe won the women's 200 IM in 2:10.43, while Nojus Skirutis captured first in the men's 200 IM with a time of 1:52.41. Skirutis also added a win in the 200 butterfly (1:49.26), and Colin Candebat and Stevie Balistreri followed closely behind to secure additional points.
The breaststroke races were led by the Red Wave, as Irem Erktan took first in the women's 200 breaststroke (2:28.84) and Monroe Chittum placed second. On the men's side, Mark Eberhard finished second in the 200 breaststroke (2:06.72), while Avery Henke added a third-place finish.
Henderson State also controlled the sprint events, with Ryleigh Wells and Raven Roberts tying for first in the women's 50 freestyle, while Gavin Kock led the men with a third-place finish in the 50 freestyle. In the 100 freestyle, Shelby Travis recorded a second-place finish for the Red Wave, and Olivér Pózvai added a third-place finish on the men's side.
In the backstroke events, Hunter Rytting paced the Red Wave with a second-place finish in the men's 200 backstroke, while Tayden Drake led the women with a third-place finish in the 200 backstroke.
The Red Wave closed the meet strong in the relays, winning the women's 400 freestyle relay as the team of Emma Crowe, Iris McNamara, Raven Roberts, and Shelby Travis touched first in 3:34.97. The men's 400 freestyle relay team also placed second to close out the meet.
Overall, Henderson State captured multiple event victories and placed swimmers across scoring positions throughout the lineup. The depth and consistency on both sides kept the Red Wave in the hunt until the final relay.
The Red Wave will return to action Feb. 17–22 at the NSISC Championships in Pensacola, Florida.
