Alabama swimming and diving opened the season with a splash as the women’s team beat SEC rival Arkansas and the men’s team beat Delta State University.  

Both the men’s and women’s team were away to open their respective seasons.  

In Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Crimson Tide women’s team took the victory 161-139 over a conference rival, winning 10 out of 14 individual events on Friday afternoon.  

Graduate student Kensey McMahon opened the Crimson Tide’s season with a victory in the 1,000m freestyle. McMahon later won the 500m freestyle in the meet.  

Freshman diver Ryleigh Rodgers made her Crimson Tide debut in Fayetteville by notching victories in both the three-meter and one-meter springboard events.  

Graduate student Morgan Scott added to the tally as she won first place in the 100m freestyle with a time of 48.64 seconds. Graduate student Cat Wright also added to the tally with the 200m breaststroke title with a time of 2:11.51.  

Graduate student and Olympian Rhyan White notched victories in the 100m and 200m backstroke, and a victory in the 200m individual medley. White’s backstroke victories also bested Arkansas’s pool record times. White completed the 100m backstroke in 52.68 seconds and the 200m backstroke in 1:51.81.  

Graduate student Kalia Antoniou won the 50m freestyle with a pool-record time of 22.49 seconds.  

Between White and Antoniou, the Crimson Tide broke three Arkansas pool records. Alabama women’s swimming and diving now hold five records for the Arkansas Natatorium. Crimson Tide legend Anne Poleska set the records for the 100m and 200m breaststrokes in 2002, which still hold.  

The Crimson Tide men beat Delta State 186-101 in Cleveland, Mississippi. The Crimson Tide won 12 out of 14 individual events and took both relays on the day.  

Graduate student Victor Johansson opened his records with the Crimson Tide by winning the 1,000m freestyle at 9:23.41 and the 500m freestyle at 4:30.82.  

Junior Trey Sheils took the 100m breaststroke at 55.88 seconds and the 200m breaststroke at 2:06.89. Sophomore Charlie Hawke recorded the top time in the 200m butterfly at 1:51.18 and in the 100m freestyle at 45.05 seconds. Senior Derek Maas claimed the 100m backstroke at 48.61 seconds and the 100m butterfly at 48.90 seconds. Junior Eric Stelmar took the 200m backstroke at 1:49.32. Sophomore Bernardo Bondra de Almeida notched the win for the 200m freestyle at 1:41.23.  

Senior Matt Menke won the 50m freestyle at 20.58, and the 200m individual medley with a time of 1:49.19.  

Menke, Maas, Ben Hines and Tim Korstanje teamed up to open the Crimson Tide’s season with a win in the 200m medley relay with a time of 1:28.20.  

Hake, Kaique Alves, Maas and Menke closed the Crimson Tide’s meet out with a win in the 400m freestyle relay with a time of 2:59.84. 

“It was great to open our season with wins for both the women and men,” head coach Margo Geer said. “Our women earned a hard-fought win against a very well-prepared Arkansas team. We got their best shot and responded well. Our men gave great efforts today at Delta State and found ways to get better collectively. We are looking forward to both squads competing at home against South Carolina in October.” 

After both teams claimed road victories to open the Crimson Tide Swimming and Diving season, the men’s and women’s team will both return to the Alabama Aquatic Center in Tuscaloosa to take on SEC rival South Carolina on Oct. 15. The meet will begin at 10 a.m. CT.

Questions or comments? Email Austin Hannon (Sports Editor) at [email protected]