2025 BILLIKEN INVITE
- October 10-11, 2025
- Little Rock, Ark.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: SLU Athletics
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Saint Louis swimming and diving won the women’s and men’s competitions at the Little Rock Fall Invite Friday and Saturday.
The Billiken women scored 784 points to defeat Little Rock (710), Delta State (517) and Henderson State (438). The Billiken men tallied 750 points, topping Henderson State (738) and Delta State (668).
Saint Louis won five individual events and one relay in the women’s meet led by Olivia Fox, who bested the field in 1-meter (213.53) and 3-meter (235.05) diving. Also winning were Sasha Jancekova in the 1000 free (10:44.26), Meghan Eng in the 200 back (2:04.51), Tierney Kohl in the 200 breast (2:21.57) and the 400 medley relay team of Kohl, Eng, Marissa Williams and Sarah Dingus (4:02.82).
Six Billikens turned in two top-5 finishes. Kohl added a third-place effort in the 100 breast (1:04.74); Emmy Barrett was second in the 200 back (2:07.96) and third in the 100 back (58.64); Reagan Hoefer was second in the 1000 free (10:48.86) and fifth in the 500 free (5:23.74); Faith McAdam was third in the 200 fly (2:11.61) and fifth in the 50 fly (26.09); Izabel Schmidt was fourth in Saturday’s 50 free (24.33) and fifth in Friday’s 50 free (24.03); and Anya Brueggeman was fifth in Saturday’s 50 free (24.67) and the 100 free (52.80).
Additional top-five performances were recorded by Dingus, third in the 50 fly (25.65); Karis Reynaga, third in the 500 free (5:18.16); Hanna Whitney, fourth in the 100 breast (1:04.95); Mia Wilson, fourth in the 200 fly (2:14.89); Hazel Perkins, fourth in the 200 breast (2:34.71); Morgan Walker, fifth in the 200 fly (2:16.13); Kenna Cashman, fifth in the 50 breast (29.65); and Williams, fifth in the 50 back (26.62).
Brae Sanchez led the Billiken men with victories in the 50 breast (24.90), 100 breast (55.04) and 200 breast (2:06.32). Zach Byars won the 100 back (50.45) and 200 back (1:52.84) and added a fourth-place finish in the 50 back (24.05).
Drayton Beber won the 50 fly (22.41), placed second in the 100 breast (56.38) and finished fourth in Saturday’s 50 free (21.49). Eduardo Sanchez also had a victory and two additional top-five showings, winning the 50 back (23.45) and claiming fourth in the 200 fly (1:56.87) and 1000 free (10:16.51). Ethan Hudock collected three top-5 finishes, placing second in the 100 back (50.88) and third in the 100 free (46.38) and 50 back (23.90).
The 400 medley relay team of Brae Sanchez, Eduardo Sanchez, Beber and Logan Townsend won the event in 3:30.62.
Ben Mears, Townsend, Evan Crim and Tino Ferranti posted two top-fives apiece. Mears was second in 1-meter diving (257.40) and third in 3-meter diving (287.33); Townsend was third in Friday’s 50 free (21.03) and third in Saturday’s 50 free (21.26); Crim finished third in the 100 back (52.56) and fourth in the 200 back (1:57.51); and Ferranti touched third in the 50 breast (25.51) and fifth in Saturday’s 50 free (21.62).
Additional top-five swims were registered by Kyle Algrim, second in the 500 free (4:43.46); Lenny DeMartino, third in the 1000 free (10:06.01); Benjamin Vaught, fourth in the 200 breast (2:10.88); Frankie Adamo, fourth in the 100 back (53.11); Daniel Jekov, fifth in the 200 back (1:57.54); Ben Militti, fifth in the 500 free (4:50.86); Andrew Flight, fifth in the 200 breast (2:12.82); and Hayden Barnes, fifth in the 50 breast (26.29).
Up next for the Billikens are a pair of dual meets at McKendree Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24-25.
Courtesy: Little Rock Athletics
LITTLE ROCK, AR. – The Trojans capped off a strong weekend at the Donaghey Aquatic Center with a second-place overall finish at the 2025 Little Rock Fall Invite. Little Rock totaled 710 points to finish just behind Saint Louis University (784) and ahead of Delta State (517) and Henderson State (438).
While the final standings included diving events, the Trojans posted the highest swimming-only total among all teams, meaning Little Rock would have taken first place if diving scores were excluded. The performance marked another step forward for the program as the team continued to showcase its depth and early-season speed.
Freshman Amara Addison once again led the way for Little Rock, following her record-breaking 50 backstroke on Friday with a new school record in the 100 backstroke on Saturday, touching in 55.14. Addison also added another highlight performance in the 100 butterfly, finishing in 56.13 which ranks ninth all time on the Trojans’ top ten list.
Junior Megan Stewart added another school record to close out the meet, posting a program-best time in her 400 individual medley leg as part of the Trojans’ 4×100 IM relay. Stewart also contributed major points in the breaststroke events, placing second in the 100 breast with a time of 1:04.67, which now ranks ninth on Little Rock’s all-time top ten list.
Freshman Nelanee Fulton joined the program’s top ten charts as well, swimming a 2:07.87 in the 200 butterfly to earn the ninth-fastest time in team history.
Little Rock’s lineup delivered across the board, with standout performances from freshmen Lyla Roper and Olivia Elgin, sophomore Anna Nishizaki, and sixth-year senior Gabriella O’Neil. The 800 freestyle relay team of O’Neil, Beatriz Comini Romero, Nishizaki, and Stewart captured first place in 7:26.72, further highlighting the team’s depth and consistency.
“It was a really great day two here in the DSC,” said head coach Nathan Townsend. “I’m really proud of our team and their performance. We had another school record from freshman Amara Addison, this time in the 100 back. I was talking to my staff, and I can’t remember if we’ve ever had a school record this early in the season, which is really cool. Then in the last relay, Megan Stewart led off our 4×100 IM relay in a new school record time as well. So Megan and Amara again kind of shined just like they did last night, but everyone was shining today. Freshmen Nelanee, Lyla, Olivia Elgin, Adara, sophomore Anna Nishizaki, and sixth-year Gabriella O’Neil in the 100 — we had a lot of wins today and a lot of swimmers going best times, suited or unsuited. From top to bottom, as a staff, we’re very pleased with where we are as a program. We’re excited to take a regeneration week next week and then, in two weeks, we’ll head down to Houston to race a strong team in Rice and a few others. Really excited about today and looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Sixth-year senior Gabriella O’Neil echoed her coach’s excitement after another strong weekend. “It feels really good,” O’Neil said. “I’m really happy with my times today. I think I kind of impressed myself, and I’m really excited for my last season. It’s crazy that it’s already the middle of October, but I’m really excited for the rest and to finish it out with the team.”
Up Next
The Trojans will now take a short recovery week before returning to competition in two weeks in Houston for the Rice Invitational, set for Oct. 24 (Fri) – Oct. 25 (Sat).
Courtesy: Delta State Athletics
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Delta State University Swimming and Diving teams turned in a strong all-around showing at the Little Rock Fall Invite, highlighted by multiple event victories and podium finishes as both programs continued to build early-season momentum.
The Lady Statesmen finished third overall with 517 points, while the Statesmen claimed third with 668 points against a competitive field featuring Saint Louis, Little Rock, and Henderson State
On the women’s side, Zinna Nimander led the charge with a dominant win in the 50-yard freestyle, clocking a blazing 22.95, while Ave Owens added a third-place finish at 23.72 to give Delta State a one-two punch in sprint freestyle action. Chloe Skelt continued her early-season success, capturing the 50-yard breaststroke title in 29.06, followed closely by Pia Delkeskamp in fourth and Kiera Cloete in ninth.
The Lady Statesmen also impressed in relay competition, taking fourth in the 800 free relay (7:45.38) behind strong swims from Kaley Davis, Julia Maciak, Mikayla Kloth, and Owens, while the ‘B’ squad finished seventh, adding key team points.
In addition, Olivia Murphy and Jordon Kloth each turned in top-five finishes in the 100-yard backstroke, and Aspen Shipp and Janne Bodemer posted finals appearances in the 50 fly, rounding out a deep and balanced team performance.
On the men’s side, the Statesmen delivered several standout swims highlighted by Ethan Baylin, who won the 50-yard freestyle in 20.51 seconds — the fastest time of the meet. Mateus Franco continued to anchor the backstroke group, finishing runner-up in the 50 back (23.48) and contributing to a victorious 800 free relay. The quartet of Jake Runyon, Franco, Adam Rickert, and Austin Huffhines claimed first place in that relay with a winning mark of 6:41.33, over five seconds ahead of the next finisher.
Kacper Mochnal also turned heads with a second-place finish in the 50 fly (22.42), while Neill Mauss, Kostantin Ilijic, and Eudald Tosquella each made finals in the 50 breaststroke, stacking valuable team points.
Delta State’s depth was on full display throughout the two-day event, with nearly every swimmer contributing in multiple events.
Delta State will be back in the pool on Friday (Nov. 7) when they head to Arkadelphia, Ark., to take on the Reddies from Henderson State University.
Courtesy: Henderson State Athletics
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Henderson State Red Wave turned in a strong showing at the Little Rock Fall Invite this weekend, earning numerous top finishes against Delta State, Saint Louis, and Little Rock. The men’s squad posted several podium results across distance, sprint, and relay events, while the women’s team continued to show depth and early-season consistency.
Freshman Bartu Akin led the way for the Red Wave men, winning the 1000 freestyle with a time of 9:59.54, while teammate Alan González Mujica finished second (10:02.57) to give Henderson a one-two sweep in the event. Thomas Landreneau also placed fifth (10:16.92), marking three Reddies in the top five.
In the sprint events, Tristin Ferguson recorded a second-place finish in the 50 freestyle (20.86), followed closely by Vitor Sa, who tied for third (21.03). Scott Doll added another top-five result, placing fifth (21.42). The Red Wave dominated the 50 butterfly, placing three swimmers in the top five: Nojus Skirutis (third, 22.46), Colin Candebat (fourth, 22.63), and Colton Bennett (fifth, 23.21).
The Red Wave also excelled in the breaststroke. Oskar Cebula earned second in the 50 (25.13) and fourth in the 100 (56.44), while Gavin Kock took third in the 100 (56.44) and fourth in the 50 (25.95). Henderson’s 800 freestyle relay team of Candebat, Skirutis, Hunter Rytting, and Bennett capped off the men’s highlights with a second-place finish (6:46.79).
On the women’s side, Shelby Travis earned a top-10 finish in the 50 freestyle (seventh, 24.65) and helped lead the 800 freestyle relay team of Emma Crowe, Iris McNamara, and Ryann Grasser to a fifth-place finish (7:56.30).
In distance competition, Daniela Ruiz and Emilee Rogers delivered standout swims in the 1000 freestyle, finishing third (11:27.36) and fourth (11:35.04) respectively. Raven Roberts placed eighth in the 50 butterfly (27.09) and 11th in the 100 backstroke (1:02.23).
In the team standings, the Red Wave men finished second overall with 738 points, narrowly behind Saint Louis, while the women’s squad placed fourth with 438 points. The Red Wave men compiled several top-three results across multiple events, while the women’s squad continued to build momentum through strong relay and distance performances.
Up Next –
Henderson State returns home next week to face Oklahoma Christian University on Thursday, Oct. 16, inside the Duke Wells Center Pool.
