The Missouri State women's swimming and diving will head to Carbondale, Ill. on Thursday, Feb. 11 to compete in the 2010 State Farm MVC Swimming and Diving Championships. The meet will span three days.

In a unanimous vote, Missouri State was named the pre-championship favorite for the conference meet.  Illinois State was in second, and received all second-place votes.

"I feel confident in this group," Head Coach Jack Steck said. "As a coach, I don't like to say that, but this is a very good team. This may be the finest women's team we have ever had."

The Bears have had a phenomenal season heading into the conference meet, holding one of the top two times in every event except for the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke. Additionally, each Missouri State relay team holds the top time in the MVC.

On the diving boards, the senior duo of Chelsea Ray (Anchorage, Alaska) and Heather Fulton (St. Louis, Mo.) will look to continue their success. Ray has been named MVC Diver of the Week twice, while Fulton has earned the honor once. Both divers have also qualified for the 2010 NCAA Zone "D" Diving Championships in March.

As a team, the women look to claim their third consecutive Valley title, and seventh in eight seasons.  Since Missouri State swimming joined the MVC in 1999, host Southern Illinois is the only other school to win a conference championship, most recently in 2007.

Steck's team finished the regular season with a dual record of 6-3, and four invitational appearances.  The Bears earned first-place finishes at the Lindenwood Quad as well as the Tunica Invitational.  Missouri State also finished second at the highly competitive Missouri Showdown in Columbia, Mo. In the most recent poll (Dec. 27, 2009), Collegeswimming.com ranked Missouri State as the tenth-best women's team among all mid-major programs.