Diving Into Delta State’s Swimming and Diving Program

February 2nd, 2025

College swimming and diving might not get as much mainstream attention as football or basketball, but it is a competitive, high-energy sport that requires precision, skill, and immense training. Whether you are watching the thrilling sprints in the pool or the high-flying dives from the boards, it is a sport that demands mental and physical prowess. And for those looking to understand what makes college swimming and diving so unique, let’s dive in—pun intended.

The Basics of College Swimming and Diving

The NCAA governs swimming and diving in college, with most programs falling under the Division I, Division II, or Division III levels. The distinction primarily lies in the scholarship funding level and the programs’ competitiveness. However, for athletes across all divisions, the ultimate goal is to achieve both personal and team success at national meets and to qualify for prestigious events like the NCAA Championships.

In swimming, there are a variety of races. A college swim meet consists of 16 to 21 different events, in which swimmers race to score points for the fastest finishes. Men and women compete separately, with the women’s heat of any given event occurring right before the men’s. Depending on the meet schedule and caliber, competition can last anywhere from four hours to four days.

Freestyle (50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 1650 yards): The sprint event in freestyle (the 50-yard dash) is the fastest race in swimming, while longer races like the 500 and 1650-yard events test swimmers’ endurance.
Backstroke (100, 200 yards): This event requires swimmers to alternate strokes while staying on their backs.
Breaststroke (100, 200 yards): Known for its frog-like kick, breaststroke is all about timing and technique.
Butterfly (100, 200 yards): Known for its demanding, “double-arm” stroke, the butterfly is one of the most exhausting events.
Individual Medley (IM) (200, 400 yards): This race combines all four strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle) in one event, with each swimmer completing a quarter of the total distance in one stroke.
Relays: There are also relay events, where teams of four swimmers compete together. The most common are the 4×100 and 4×200 freestyle relays and the 4×100 medley relay, where swimmers race in each of the four strokes.

In diving, athletes perform a series of acrobatic jumps and flips from either a 1-meter or 3-meter springboard. Divers are scored based on their execution, degree of difficulty, and overall presentation. The goal is to achieve a perfect dive, with minimal splash and precise form.

In NCAA swimming and diving competitions, scoring is essential to determine the winner of each meet.

Swimming Scoring: At larger meets, swimmers compete against more opponents and therefore receive more opportunities to score points. The typical pattern awards the top sixteen individual finishers (in a 20-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 pattern) and the top sixteen relays (40-34-32-30-28-26-24-22-18-14-12-10-8-6-4-2). Note that relays are worth double that of individual events, making them extremely competitive.
Dive scoring: Diving points are a bit more complicated. For each dive, judges provide an execution-based score ranging from 0 (completely failed) to 10 (perfect). At meets with two or three judges present, these scores are added up. At meets with five judges, the lowest and highest scores are canceled, and the median three are combined. This number becomes the dive’s execution total, which is multiplied by the degree of difficulty (sometimes known as the tariff) to provide a total score. The process repeats itself for each dive.

An athlete’s final diving score is calculated by the sum of their dive scores. In the case that only two judges are present, the final score is multiplied by 1.5. As in swimming, placement by divers contributes points to the team’s overall total.

Typically, meets consist of a mix of swimming events and diving events, with each team trying to outscore the other. The team with the highest total points at the end of the competition wins.

Delta State University’s Swimming and Diving Legacy

Delta State University, located in Cleveland, Mississippi, competes in NCAA Division II, and while it may not have the same high profile as some of the larger schools, its swimming and diving programs are a force to be reckoned with in the Gulf South Conference.

Delta State’s swimming and diving program has been competitive for many years, regularly appearing in national championship contention. Their teams, both the men’s and women’s squads, have earned a reputation for consistent performance in both regional and national events. The program has produced athletes who’ve competed at high levels, making it a hidden gem for aspiring swimmers and divers looking to continue their careers at the collegiate level.

One standout feature of Delta State’s program is the Diving team, which has enjoyed significant success over the years. The school boasts an impressive diving facility and has produced several individual champions who have qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships.

Recently, Delta State has been undefeated in conference meets. Closing out their regular season, the Delta State University Women’s Swimming and Diving Team triumphed over Ouachita Baptist University’s Tigers with a 331-253 victory.

Seniors Reagan Fulton and Meredith Rice capped off their final regular season in style, sweeping the top two spots in the one-meter dive. Fulton took first place with a score of 430.13, while Rice secured second with 399.08. Just two events later, senior Hannah Murray claimed victory in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:01.50, edging out teammate Jessica Gannon, who finished at 5:01.92. Janne Bodemer kicked off the evening session with a strong performance, winning the 400-yard individual medley in 4:27.81.

In the next event, Ave Owens and Zinna Nimander claimed the top two positions in the 100-yard freestyle, with Owens finishing first in 50.87 seconds and Nimander just behind at 50.99. After the one-meter dive, Hannah Jones took first place in the 200-yard breaststroke, posting a time of 2:26.72.

In the 100-yard butterfly, Nimander and Mikayla Kloth dominated, with Nimander edging out Kloth by just three-hundredths of a second to take the win in 55.63 seconds. To close out the meet, the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Nimander, Olivia Murphy, Kloth, and Owens clinched victory in the A final with an impressive time of 1:33.31.

The Lady Statesmen have made a strong showing as they wrap up the season. To follow this program, click here: https://gostatesmen.com/sports/womens-swimming-and-diving/schedule