INDIANAPOLIS – Junior transfer Blair Bish became the 11^th Bear in program history to qualify for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship meet and will represent the Missouri State men's swimming and diving team on the big stage in Minneapolis, Minn., on March 21-24.
 
"Each year we set a goal of competing at the NCAA Championships," head coach Dave Collins said. "I am excited to have that opportunity this year with Blair. We look forward to continuing the momentum of the MAC Championship and look to make a strong impact in Minneapolis."
 
After his first complete season with MSU, Bish is set to compete in the 100 and 200 breaststroke in his third appearance at the NCAA Championship meet. He earned championship swims during his freshman and sophomore years at the University of Arizona.
 
"It is an honor to represent my school and team at the highest stage of our sport," Bish said. "I hope to make my teammates proud and show the NCAA how special it is to be a Missouri State Bear."
 
A member of the All-MAC first team, Bish made an immediate impact on the Bears' crew during the 2017-18 season. He earned his punched his ticket in the 100 breast thanks to a career best time of 51.93 seconds at the 2018 Mid-American Conference Championship. His time shattered his own school and conference record, ranks seventh in the nation and serves as the only MSU 100 breast time under 53 seconds. He won the conference title in the event and his time was just .19 seconds away from meeting NCAA A-standards.
 
Bish was invited to swim in the 200 breast as well, and ranks 41^st in the nation with a time of 1:56.51. His B-cut time earned him a bronze medal at the MAC Championship and secured him as the No. 41 seed entering the NCAA Championship meet.
 
Final Details
The championships will be held March 21-24 at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, will serve as host.
 
A total of 270 participants (235 swimmers and 35 divers) will compete in the championships. Swimmers qualified for the championships by meeting the established minimum time for the events in which they entered. Divers will be determined by performances achieved at the Zone Diving meets March 5-10. The complete lists of all swimmers (athletes by institution, official psych sheet, relays and alternates) competing in the championships is available at www.usaswimming.org/ncaa. Selected divers will be added to the website Sunday, March 11.
 
ESPN3.com will live stream finals sessions on Friday and Saturday. Wednesday's evening session, Thursday's sessions along with the morning sessions on Friday and Saturday will be streamed live on www.gophersports.com. Additionally, ESPNU will air a two-hour show at 5 p.m. Eastern time, Wednesday, April 4.
 
For all the latest information on the Missouri State swimming and diving team, visit missouristatebears.com or follow @MoStateSwim on Twitter.