ST. LOUIS – Receiving seven first-place votes from Missouri Valley Conference coaches, the Missouri State women's swimming and diving team was selected to win the 2020 MVC Conference Championship for the fourth-straight year, as announced by the league Thursday.
 
The Bears hold the Valley's coveted top time in six events, sweeping all the freestyle races. Juniors Anna Miller and Libby Howell pace MSU, sharing three Valley-best times apiece. Miller holds the 50 free (22.74), 100 free (49.47), and 100 butterfly (54.22) while Howell posted season-highs in the 200 free (1:48.29), 500 free (4:48.46), and 1650 free (16:28.82).

Heading into the championship, the Bears produced a total of 19 top-five marks on the Valley leaderboard.

MSU retained seven first-place votes for 63 points, while Southern Illinois grabbed the remaining first-place nod to finish second with 51 points. The remaining list from the pre-championship poll includes Indiana State (48), UNI (45), Illinois State (33), Little Rock (20), Evansville (18), and Valparaiso (10).
 
Championship action will take place Wednesday, Feb. 19 – Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Mo.
 
Wednesday's action will include the 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays. The following day, individual events will commence, with prelims and finals taking place for the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 1-meter dive (1-8), and 200 freestyle relay.
 
Swimming & diving events continue on Friday with a mix of individual and team events. Prelims and finals includes the 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, 3-meter diving (9-16), and the 400 medley relay.
 
The championship concludes on Saturday with finals in the 1650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 fly, 3-meter diving (1-8), and the 400 freestyle relay.

For all the latest information on the Missouri State swimming and diving team, visit missouristatebears.com or follow @MoStateSwim on Twitter.