Missouri State swept the Sun Belt Conference swimming and diving weekly honors to start the New Year.  Bears’ junior swimmer Nicolas Villarroel was awarded Swimmer of the Week and sophomore diver Eric Ducourneau captured Sun Belt Diver of the Week honors, each for individual performances at the Missouri Invitational in December. 

 

Villarroel helped the Bears capture a third place finish where the squad swam against league foe, SIU, along with nationally ranked Missouri and Iowa.  In the 200 back, Villarroel posted a time of 1:48.04, marking a season-best for the Bears.  He then led off the relay with the backstroke leg, helping his team to first place in under a minute and a half. The Bears also finished one-two-three in the 100 backstroke, led by Villarroel with a time of 48.61.

 

Ducourneau paced the Missouri State diving squad over the break.  The Canadian native finished sixth in one-meter diving with 281.05 points, followed by a fourth-place out of eight divers in three-meter diving with 306.55 points.

 

The Bears’ men will be back in action on December 9-10 in Tunica, Miss.  The squad will compete in the Tunica Invitational with a scheduled start time of 6:00 p.m. on Friday.