The Missouri State Swimming and Diving team hosted the first home meet of the 2008-09 season on Saturday, October 11. The 2008 Dale Williams Alumni Intrasquad was held at the Hammons Student Center pool and began at 5:00 p.m.
The Bears divided into two teams for the meet, Maroon versus White. Senior captains Francy Palma, Jordan Hawkins, Eduardo Pajares and Josh Udermann drafted the lineup for the meet. Palma and Udermann headed the Maroon team while Hawkins and Pajares led the White team.
The women’s competition was dominated by the Maroon team with a final score of 168, 24 points ahead of the White team at 144. The competition was fierce on the men’s side with the Maroon squad edging out the White team by a margin of two points. Scores were 143 and 141 respectively.
Highlights for the women’s swimming competition included junior Fran Moody in the 100 yard breaststroke event. She finished first with a time of 1:07.60. Also, freshman Brianna Willoughby, who is expected to be an immediate contributor for the Bears in the 200 IM, came in first for the women posting a time of 2:10.02.
On the men’s swimming side, a new pool record was set by junior Nicolas Villarroel in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 50.19. Villarroel was a member of the Maroon team. Also for the Bears was sophomore Cajun Skinner in the 100 yard breaststroke. Skinner finished first, with a time of 57.53, scoring eight points for the White team.
The diving portion of the meet was dominated by the White team. Junior Heather Fulton took medalist honors scoring 231.25 points for six dives in the three-meter diving competitions. She was followed by sophomore teammate Torrie Villasenior who competed for the Maroon team for the meet. She finished second with 210.80 points in six dives.
Sophomore Eric Ducourneau led men’s diving for the evening. After six dives, Ducourneau finished with 269.15 points, giving the White team eight points in the three-meter diving event. Freshman Ryan Borup scored six points for the Maroon team finishing with 238.90 individual diving points.
As a part of the intrasquad meet, alumni swimmers and divers are invited to compete against each other in various events. The meet featured 18 former swimmers who swam in 50 yard races of each stroke. Alumni highlights included current record holder Matt Beasley who graduated in 2006. Beasley finished first in the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.5. A representative of the 2008 graduating class, J.R. Pyle won the 50 yard butterfly with a time of 23.9.
Other notable alumni swimmers were Lesley Weaverling and Miro Majhron. Weaverling won the women’s heat in the 50 yard backstroke and Majhron who graduated in 2004 finished first in the breaststroke.
The Bears are back in action on Friday, October 24 in Evansville, Ind. The squad will swim against conference competitors Illinois State and Evansville. The meet is schedule to begin at 4:00 p.m.
