CLEVELAND, Miss. – The men's & women's swim teams got their 2025-26 season underway at the Delta State Magnolia Classic as both teams picked up 2^nd place finishes.
 
The Crusaders' swim teams feature a host of new and familiar faces as Coach Robert Gonzalez looks to build on the success and strong foundation he set in the program's inaugural season last year.
 
Yusuf Balaban, Nedas Giedraitis, & Miguel Vieira were the pick of the newcomers as they all picked up wins in their respective events. Vieira picked up the Crusaders first 1^st place finish on the day and his first as a Crusader. Vieira claimed the title in the 1000-yard freestyle finishing with a time of 9:54.19, a full 10 seconds ahead of 2^nd place. Vieira later claimed 2^nd in the 500-yard freestyle to claim his second podium finish of the day.
 
Balaban started the day helping the Crusaders 200-yard Medley Relay team pick up 2^nd alongside Hunter Boudreau, Janos Szabo, & Giedraitis. Balaban picked up his 1^st place in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:11.16.
 
Giedraitis followed his 2^nd in 200-yard Medley Relay with another 2^nd place finish in the 200-yard butterfly. He then picked up this 1^st place finish in the 100-yard butterfly, coming in with a time of 51.58.
 
Boudreau and Szabo provided the highlights from the returners after both picking up 1^st place finishes. Both played a part in the opening 2^nd place finish in the 200-yard medley relay before going on to claim wins of their own.  Boudreau claimed his top finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, beating out Jacob Hamblen of Delta State by 0.28 seconds to finish with a time of 57.73.
 
Szabo provided the best individual performance of the day with two individual 1^st place finishes. Szabo dominated the short freestyle events as he claimed 1^st in the 100-yard & 200-yard. Szabo claimed the closest win of the day as he won the 200-yard freestyle by 0.02 seconds ahead of Delta State's Mateus Franco. Szabo's win in the 100-yard freestyle didn't come quite as close as he clocked in with a time of 46.61.
 
On the women's side, Abigail Krot & Chloe Picon provided the top finishes from the Lady Crusaders newcomers. Picon helped WCU pick up a win in the opening race of the day alongside Grace Funck, Bisma Khan, & Eszter Kardos. They finished with a time of 1:37.20 in the 200-yard medley relay. Picon then picked up her individual 1^st place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke as she knocked off Kiera Cloete of Delta State by less than a second.
 
Krot ensured Carey swept the 1000-yard freestyle as she picked up the win. Krot finished in 11:20.92 to beat Olivia Murphy of Delta State before claiming her other individual podium finish as she came in 2^nd in the 200-yard butterfly.
 
Funck & Khan both played their part in the opening win in the 200-yard medley relay before providing the best individual finishes for the returning Lady Crusaders. Both girls picked up second place finishes in their events. Funck picked up her 2^nd place finish in the 100-yard backstroke before Khan claimed her 2^nd place finish in the 50-yard freestyle.
 
Victoria Murphy added to the second-place finishes as she picked up 2^nd in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 6:02.45.
 
Men's & women's swim return to action on October 4^th as they travel to Marietta, Ga. to take on Life University.
 
William Carey Men's Individual Results
200-yard Medley Relay – 2, (Yusuf Balaban, Hunter Boudreau, Nedas Giedraitis, Janos Szabo), 1:33.45; 6, (Matthew Hughes, Josh Pratt, Carter Diecidue, Blaise Boyd), 1:43.98
1000-yard Freestyle – 1, Miguel Vieira, 9:54.19
200-yard Freestyle – 1, Janos Szabo, 1:43.70; 3, Josiah Blankenship, 1:48.62
100-yard Backstroke – 2, Matthew Hughes, 1:00.90
100-yard Breaststroke – 1, Hunter Boudreau, 57.73; 7, Josh Pratt, 1:06.43
200-yard Butterfly – 2, Yusuf Balaban, 1:55.42; 3, Nedas Giedraitis, 1:57.47; 6, Carter Diecidue, 2:13.71
50-yard Freestyle – 3, Blaise Boyd, 21.82
100-yard Freestyle – 1, Janos Szabo, 46.61
200-yard Backstroke – 3, Matthew Hughes, 2:15.94
200-yard Breaststroke – 1, Yusuf Balaban, 2:11.16; 3, Hunter Boudreau, 2:16.88; 5, Josh Pratt, 2:24.04
500-yard Freestyle – 2, Miguel Vieira, 4:46.31; 3, Josiah Blankenship, 5:07.83; 4, Carter Diecidue, 5:15.82
100-yard Butterfly – 1, Nedas Giedraitis, 51.58; 6, Matthew Hughes, 1:00.20
200-yard Freestyle Relay – 2, (Janos Szabo, Nedas Giedraitis, Josiah Blankenship, Blaise Boyd), 1:27.06; 5, (Yusuf Balaban, Hunter Boudreau, Miguel Vieira, Carter Diecidue) 1:33.99
 
William Carey Women's Individual Results
200-yard Medley Relay – 1, (Grace Funck, Chloe Picon, Bisma Khan, Eszter Kardos), 1:37.20
1000-yard Freestyle – 1, Abigail Krot, 11:20.92
200-yard Freestyle – 7, Victoria Murphy, 2:16.36
100-yard Backstroke – 2, Grace Funck, 1:02.84
100-yard Breaststroke – 4, Chloe Picon, 1:08.64; 6, Kelsey Shand, 1:10.83; 7, Brooks Sipes, 1:11.68; 8, Sophia Martin, 1:16.55
200-yard Butterfly – 2, Abigail Krot, 2:16.42
50-yard Freestyle – 2, Bisma Khan, 26.15
100-yard Freestyle – 4, Eszter Kardos, 56.30; 5, Grace Funck, 59.02; 6, Chloe Lee, 59.79
200-yard Breaststroke – 1, Chloe Picon, 2:30.83; 3, Brooks Sipes, 2:38.16; 4, Kelsey Shand, 2:40.61; 5, Sophia Martin, 2:46.92
500-yard Freestyle – 2, Victoria Murphy, 6:02.45
100-yard Butterfly – 3, Eszter Kardos, 1:00.95; 4, Bisma Khan, 1:05.05; 5, Chloe Lee, 1:05.68
200-yard Freestyle Relay – 3, (Eszter Kardos, Grace Funck, Bisma Khan, Chloe Lee), 1:44.95; 5, (Chloe Picon, Brooks Sipes, Abigail Krot, Victoria Murphy), 1:48.58