The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams both opened their seasons with wins against Delta State on Friday afternoon. The men earned a 231-69 victory and the women prevailed 235-65. This was the fifth straight year Alabama has opened its season against the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen.

“It’s always fun to have the opportunity to see freshmen in a collegiate meet for the first time,” UA head coach Dennis Pursley said in a press release. “That was especially true this year because we have such an enormous freshman class. For the most part I was very pleased with what I saw.”

The women won 15 of the 16 events they competed in, while the men won 14 of their 16 events. Alabama swept all relay and diving events in the meet.

Freshman Christian Strycker won the 1,000 freestyle, the first win of the match for the men. He was one of four freshmen on the men’s team to notch their first career win, with Richard Miksi taking the 200 breaststroke, Robby Costine finishing first in 1-meter diving, and Austin Rettinghouse triumphing in the 3-meter diving event.

Junior Robert Howard won the 200 and 500 freestyles and was part of the first-place 400 freestyle relay team for the men. Sophomore Kyle Maas won the 200 backstroke, 200 individual medley, and swam the breaststroke on the first-place 400 medley relay team.

Senior Will Freeman won the 200 butterfly, and fellow senior Christopher Reed also won the 100 freestyle. Sophomore Zane Waddell took the 50 freestyle and junior Laurent Bams earned a win in the 100 butterfly.

The nine-member freshman class on the women’s team earned several wins in their debut, including Flora Molnar’s win in the 400 medley, in addition to the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Fellow freshman Leonie Kullmann won the 200 and 500 freestyle. Molnar and Kullmann were also part of Alabama’s 400 freestyle relay win, joined by fellow freshmen Julia Kukla and Sezin Eligul.

Senior Paige Matherson won the 1,000 freestyle and 200 butterfly, and junior Justine Macfarlane won the 100 and 200 breaststrokes. Senior Mia Nonnenberg won the 200 individual medley for the Crimson Tide, and senior Bailey Scott took the 100 freestyle. Sophomore Kacey Oberlander was first in the 200 backstroke.

Junior Katie Kelsoe and senior Hannah Musser joined Macfarlane and Molnar to win the 400 medley relay in the first swim of the meet.

In the women’s diving events, junior Ayanna Woods won the 1 and 3-meter springboard events for the Crimson Tide.

The Crimson Tide will be back in action on October 7 in the Crimson & White Intrasquad.