The Barton Community College swimming teams opened the 2025-26 season Saturday at the Sam Freas Invitational in Edmond, Oklahoma, with the men finishing sixth and the women placing eight.
Over the weekend, the Cougars combined for six program record impacts, highlighted by freshman Caio Ribeiro's pair of titles and school records in his collegiate debut.
Men's Recap:
C. Ribeiro made an immediate splash as a Cougar, sweeping victories in the middle-distance freestyle events while setting two program records. The Brazil native opened his day by topping the 30-participant 200-yard freestyle in 1:40.84 before returning to claim the 500-yard freestyle crown in 4:36.47.
Beyond C. Ribeiro's double titles, the Barton men notched five other individual top 10 finishes. Freshmen Ricardo Marques and Javier Vargas Hidalgo each recorded a pair in their Barton debuts. Marques placed fifth in the 100-butterfly (52.38) and seventh in the 50 freestyle (22.10), narrowly edging teammate Cameron Sein's 10th place 22.32. Vargas Hidalgo earned eighth in the 100 freestyle (48.74) and added ninth in the 100 IM (56.94).
The relay squads contributed two more highlights. The 200 medley four pack of Mateo Wallet, Sein, Marques and Joao Ribeiro posted the ninth quickest time in program history at 1:40.94, while the 400-freestyle relay of Vargas Hidalgo, J. Ribeiro, Wallet and C. Ribeiro touched in 3:12.05 for the seventh quickest mark on Barton's all-time list.
Skyler Fair kicked his sophomore season off strong adding to the performances with a pair of personal bests, clocking 54.84 in the 100 freestyle and 1:01.34 in the 100 butterfly.
Women's Recap:
The Cougar women produced a pair of program top 10 performances, both in relay action. The 200-medley relay of Avery Stewart, Katy Alvarez, Makayla Baxter and Jocelyn Hamilton finished 24th overall with a time of 2:16.35, eighth-best in school history. The quartet returned for the 400-freestyle relay, stopping the clock at 4:35.03 for another eighth-fastest mark and 24th place finish.
Individually, Baxter led the group with Barton's top finish, placing 17th in the 500 freestyle at 6:36.41. Alvarez added a 19th-place showing in the 100 breaststroke (1:20.49), while Stewart wrapped up her collegiate debut with 28th-place swims in both the 50 freestyle (27.61) and 100 freestyle (1:02.45).
In the midst of a three-weekend stretch, Barton will remain in-state Friday, October 3, competing in the Sunflower Showdown at the University of Kansas' Robinson Natatorium in Lawrence.