INDIANAPOLIS – After leading the pack the first two days, the Missouri State men's and women's swimming and diving team closed out the House of Champions Invitational with two victories at the campus of IUPUI on Sunday, Nov. 20.
 
The Missouri State women dominated the competition, winning the meet and racking up 1762.5 points over the course of the weekend. IUPUI finished second behind the Bears with 1260 points followed by Green Bay (1105), Evansville (1045), Indianapolis (983.5), Lewis (686), Butler (520.5) Centre College (380.5), Western Illinois (371), Bellarmine (324), Eastern Illinois (233) and Birmingham-Southern (211).
 
"I couldn't be more excited for this team," assistant coach Chelsea Dirks-Ham said. "I can't remember the last time we came out of the mid-season meet with as many lifetime bests as we did this weekend, which is a great sign for the months to come and shows the year round dedication of this group. I am so proud of how much pride the entire team had in the performances of their teammates throughout the weekend. We are privileged to coach such a special group of athletes."
 
The men's team found the same success, leading the pack and winning the meet with 1852 points. Host IUPUI earned a second-place finish with 1479.5 points while Indianapolis claimed third with 1156 points. Lewis (940.5) earned fourth place followed by Green Bay (882.5), Western Illinois (530), Evansville (466), Wabash College (454), Birmingham-Southern (395), Bellarmine (260), Eastern Illinois (259.5) and Centre College (206).
 
"I am very pleased with our group this weekend," head coach Dave Collins said. "We had a lot of great swims, too many to single out. The big things that come to mind are sweeping the relays, the big last session and the overall team energy we displayed over the past three days."
 
The Missouri State women controlled sessions five and six where Sarah Allegri, Lauren Pavel and Josie Pearson emerged as the top performers for the Bears. The squad finished day three of the meet with 17, top-ten and 11, top-five finishes.
 
The Bears took first and second in the 200yd backstroke where Allegri set a new meet record with a time of 1:57.92, a new personal best for the freshman. Sydney Zupan's time of 1:58.23 earned second place and was fast enough to beat the meet record set back in 2015. Senior Quincy Howell also finished in the top ten, placing seventh in the event.
 
"I was not sure what to expect from my first collegiate taper meet, but I am very pleased with how it went," Allegri noted. "The team as a whole had amazing results and a great atmosphere throughout the meet. I am happy to see great swims all around."
 
In the 200yd free, sophomores Loretta Stelnicki and Hope Ernhart each new set personal records. Stelnicki earned a silver finish in the women's 100yd free, swimming the race in exactly 51 seconds while Ernhart grabbed fifth in 51.31 seconds.
 
Pavel earned her third individual victory of the weekend in the 200yd breaststroke, setting a new meet and personal record in a time of 2:13.78. Freshman Vikte Labanauskaite took third while Monica Blake finished seventh.
 
Brianna McCullough was the top finisher for the Bears in the 1650-yard freestyle, taking fifth while Brooke Drieling finished sixth.
 
Four Bears, led by Pearson, finished in the top five of the women's 200yd butterfly. Pearson set a new meet record in her first-place finish, swimming 2:01.62 in the event. Freshman Sara Bacher followed Pearson, placing third, with a time of 2:01.72 while Hanna Flanagan and Haley Allen took fifth and sixth.
 
"I'm really pleased with the results of this meet both from an individual standpoint and a team standpoint," Pearson said. "When we come together like this, like a team, it makes the meet that much more enjoyable and we were able to keep the momentum going till the very end. Very proud of everyone and happy for the team's achievements."
 
The men's team rounded out the House of Champions Invitational with standout performances from freshman Antonio Thomas, sophomore Artur Osvath and juniors Will Brand and Kacper Cwiek. The men earned five victories as well as 20 top-10 finishes during day three of the meet.
 
Thomas rocked the men's 1650yd free, setting a new school record with a first-place time of 15:04.50. He demolished the meet record by 19.40 seconds. Minki Kang took second for the Bears, finishing in 15:28.09 while Brandon Weissman finised sixth.
 
The Bears took 3-4-5 in the 200yd back, where Conner Ripp led the way with his 1:49.05, third-place performance. Bryce Blattner (1:49.57) and Kevin Douglas (1:50.75) followed, placing fourth and fifth respectively.
 
Missouri State earned the top three spots in the 100yd free finals where five Bears – Brand, Michael Mollak, Samuel Senn, Brenden Bolman and Jake Schultz – set personal season bests. Brand's meet record-setting time of 44.96 seconds claimed first-place while Mollak (44.97) and Senn (45.29) took second and third.
 
"I was very impressed with all our swims this weekend because it's the best we've ever swam in November," Brand noted. "The group as a whole did an amazing job getting behind and supporting each other. I am very excited for our next few months of training leading to the MAC championship."
 
Dominating the 200yd breast, Osvath (1:55.52), Christopher Heye (1:58.33), Nicholas Theunissen (1:58.84) and Phillip Willett (1:59.87) finished 1-2-3-4, bringing in a total of 113 for the Bears. Osvath's first-place time bested the meet record by 5.21 seconds as well as his personal record (1:56.39) set back at the 2016 MAC Championships.
 
Cwiek earned his first individual victory of the weekend in the 200yd fly where he set a new meet record with a time of 1:49.07, out-touching the previous record by .25 seconds. Ethan Bresette claimed second-place (1:50.88) while Ripp finished third (1:50.90), each setting new personal records in the event.
 
The men's and women's team closed out the day sweeping the 400yd free relay. The women's A squad finished the race in 3:26.08, besting the team's season record by over one second. The men's A relay took the race in 2:29.34, missing the meet record by just .03 seconds.
 
The Missouri State divers, Alexis Skiniotes and Payton Smith, each competed well in the women's diving competitions. In the 1-meter, Smith earned 175.85 points while Skinioties recorded 164.75. In the 3-meter, Skiniotes placed ninth with 194.60 points. Smith followed Skiniotes in the event, finishing tenth with 180.20 points.
 
"Alexis and Payton continued to gain valuable diving experience this weekend, competing against some of top divers in the country," diving coach James Huelskamp said. "We are looking to get back and build on what we learned moving forward."
 
Women's Standing – Day Three
1. Missouri State – 1762.5
2. IUPUI – 1260
3. Green Bay – 1105
4. Evansville – 1045
5. Indianapolis – 983.5
6. Lewis – 686
7. Butler – 520.5
8. Centre College – 380.5
9. Western Illinois – 371
10. Bellarmine – 324
11. Eastern Illinois – 233
12. Birmingham-Southern – 211
 
Men's Standing – Day Three
1. Missouri State– 1852
2. IUPUI – 1479.5
3. Indianapolis – 1156
4. Lewis – 940.5
5. Green Bay – 882.5
6. Western Illinois – 530
7. Evansville – 466
8. Wabash College – 454
9. Birmingham-Southern – 395
10. Bellarmine – 260
11. Eastern Illinois – 259.5
12. Centre College – 206
 
The Bears remain on the road, traveling to Evansville for a conference matchup Friday, Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. The following day (Dec. 4), the Bears will compete against Southern Illinois at 11 a.m. For more information on the Missouri State swimming and diving team visit www.missouristatebears.com.