CARBONDALE, Ill. – Missouri State's relay team of Arthur Cury, Jonathan Hill, Pawel Krawczyk, and Conner Ripp delivered an overpowering 800 freestyle relay result as the Bears split Wednesday night's opening Mid-American Conference championship races at Shea Natatorium.

The Bears swapped 1-2 relay finishes with Miami University (Ohio) to force the first-place deadlock at 74 points after tonight's two events. Host Southern Illinois concluded day one in third with 64 points, while Evansville and Ball State leveled at 58 apiece.  

MSU ended Wednesday night on a high note, as Cury, Hill, Krawczyk, and Ripp broke away for the crucial 800 freestyle relay victory that carried a nearly six-second differential over runner-up Miami at 6:29.40.
 

?? 800 Freestyle Relay ??

The #MSUBears team of Cury, Hill, Krawczyk, and Ripp swim away with the victory in Wednesday night's finale! pic.twitter.com/xfuwVrGNrB

— MSU Swimming (@MoStateSwim) March 5, 2020

Mere fingertips separated Miami (Ohio) and MSU from a 1-2 podium placement in the 200-medley relay, as the RedHawks narrowly bested Noah Witzki, Michael Hampel, Jacob Schultz, and Samuel Senn's time (1:27.40) by two-tenths of a second.  

Thursday will begin with prelims at 10:30 a.m. and finals at 6:30 p.m. The events for tomorrow are the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, and 200 freestyle relay at the Shea Natatorium in Carbondale, Ill. 

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