EDMOND, Okla. (Nov. 13, 2020) – Brandon Heredia and Nathan Bruner started the Eagle Invitational with a bang on Friday for Oklahoma Christian, setting event records for the Eagles at the Edmond YMCA Recreation and Aquatic Center at Mitch Park.

Heredia, a junior from Maryville, Mo., earned the unofficial title of "fastest man at OC," swimming a sizzling 20.35 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle in the morning prelims before winning the evening A final with a time of 20.68 seconds. Heredia broke Derek Duckworth's former mark of 20.45 seconds, set during the 2019 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships.

Duckworth, a senior from New Braunfels, Texas, was fourth Friday night with a time of 21.04 seconds, with sophomore Jacob Nixon of Livermore, Calif., fifth in 21.27 seconds and senior Kurt Gscheidle of Lantana, Texas, seventh in 21.61 seconds. OC sophomore Nathan Braun of Sycamore, Ill., won the B final with a time of 21.45 seconds.

Bruner, a senior from Cibolo, Texas, won the 500 freestyle in 4:38.33, breaking the old mark of 4:39.61, set by Andrew Ehler in the 2019 RMAC meet. OC sophomore Elijah Tung of Columbia, S.C., was third Friday in 4:45.63, with sophomore Ethan Hansbury of Greeley, Colo., fifth in 4:50.53.

The Eagles had four swimmers in the A final in the 200 IM, with senior Ryan Jennings of Keller, Texas, winning in 1:52.19. Senior Zac Hawes of Houston was third in 1:53.43, sophomore Garrett White of Centreville, Va., fifth in 1:57.43 and senior Brandon Hundley of San Antonio seventh in 2:00.80.

OC also won both relay races. The 200 freestyle relay team of Heredia, Jennings, Nixon and Duckworth took top honors with a time of 1:23.92, and in the 400 medley relay, the OC quartet of Noah Woollweever, Braun, Hawes and Heredia won in 3:19.98. OC nearly had a 1-2 finish in the event, as the Eagles' B team of Reese McIlroy, Sam Carter, Jennings and Duckworth were third in 3:27.17, just .02 behind Texas-Permian Basin's A team and ahead of Oklahoma Baptist's A team.

The meet will continue Saturday, with preliminary rounds at 10 a.m. and the finals at 6:45 p.m. Events to be contested will include the 100 butterfly, 400 individual medley, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 100 backstroke along with the 200 medley relay and the 800 freestyle relay.

OC coach Josh Davis discusses the Eagles' performance Friday: https://youtu.be/fBxc2k_54Ic