CLEVELAND, Miss. & MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Millsaps College men's and women's swimming and diving programs opened their 2026 fall slate with a pair of meets, competing at the Magnolia Invitational hosted by Delta State University on Friday at the Ronald G. Mayers Aquatics Center before traveling to Rhodes College on Saturday to compete at the Alburty Pool.

On Friday, freshmen Eric Branco, Ricky Wells, and Zoe Grace Denton, along with a junior transfer from Northwest Mississippi Community College, Holden Cooke, competed in their first meet with the Majors as they looked to continue competing strong throughout the season.

In his season opener, senior Payton Jones competed in four events throughout the day, posting a 2:10.94 in the 200-yard freestyle and a 2:33.61 in the 200-yard IM.

Branco swam in the 100-yard backstroke, where he finished with a time of 1:02.53 and finished 13th in the 50-yard freestyle (25.01) in Cleveland, Miss.

Diving into the action at the Magnolia Invitational, Cooke competed in the 50-yard freestyle, clocking a time of 24.32 to place 11th in the event.

Wells saw action alongside his teammates, placing 12th in the 50-yard freestyle just behind Cooke with a final time of 24.60. He swam in the 100-yard freestyle as well with a 54.49 outing.

All four student-athletes came together in the 200-yard medley relay, helping the Majors finish with a time of 1:54.37. The group also competed in the 200-yard freestyle relay, posting a time of 1:39.55.

Finishing out her events on the women's side, Denton finished seventh in the 50-yard freestyle (31.49) and 11th in the 100-yard freestyle (1:12.02), while accumulating a time of 2:35.66 in the 200-yard freestyle.

After opening their Fall slate at the Magnolia Invite, the Majors headed to Rhodes College the following next day  to compete in a meter pool at the second meter. Branco was well prepared, as he finished third in the 40-meter butterfly (28.60) and fourth in the 50-meter backstroke (32.31).

In the 50-meter butterfly, Wells clocked a time of 29.50 to secure a fourth-place finish and closeout the 50-meter backstroke with a completion of 33.69 in his finishing touch.

Jones took on the 50-meter butterfly, posting a mark of 32.05, before competing in the 400-meter freestyle and finishing in 5:33.88. Cooke competed in the 50-meter freestyle, posting a mark of 26.94, before recording a 37.87 in the 50-meter breaststroke.

Branco, Cooke, Wells, and Jones joined forces by placing fourth in the 200-meter medley relay at 2:07.97 before completing the 200-meter freestyle relay in 1:50.06 to close out.

Denton left Memphis, Tenn., with a final time of 6:16.66 in the 400-meter freestyle and seventh in the 50-meter butterfly (43.50), leaving Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday.

The Majors will be back in action on Saturday to compete in a tri-meet in their home opener at the Grit Training Facility against Berry College and Rhodes College starting at 12 p.m. in Flowood, Miss. 
 

To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College men's and women's swimming and diving programs follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook and visit gomajors.com. 
 

Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.