Swimming & Diving Set For Home-And-Home Doubleheader with Drury

Friday, January 19

Springfield

5:00 p.m.

Missouri State University

Drury

Swimming & Diving Set For Home-And-Home Doubleheader with Drury

January 17, 2024 | Swimming and Diving

Meet Mobile

Missouri State vs. Drury
Date	Friday, January 19 \| 5:00 p.m. CT Saturday, January 20 \| Noon CT
Location	Springfield, Missouri
Site	Friday: Hammons Student Center Pool Saturday: Breech Pool
Promotion	Free Admission
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SPRINGFIELD - The Missouri State swimming & diving team is set to ring a new year of meets as the Bears gear up for a pair against crosstown rival Drury University this weekend. Missouri State will host the first meet on Friday, January 19 at Hammons Student Center Pool starting at 5:00 p.m. The Bears and Drury Panthers will meet again at Breech Pool on Drury's campus the following day on Saturday, January 20 with swimming events starting at noon. Both meets will be available to follow on Meet Mobile.

Diving events will be at the opposite school each day. Friday's diving events will be at Drury and Saturday's will be at Hammons Student Center.

Friday will also mark Senior Day for the Bears as 13 swimmers, Kelly Sego, Anna Lucas, Cabrini Johnson, Samantha Roemer, Ainsley Krug, Anika Lam, Lily DeSpain, Marina Ortega Bonilla, Dylan Moffatt, AJ Huskey, Robert Hill, Bruno Miranda Guerra and Nicholas Schuster will be honored before the meet.

Bears Splashes (Women)

Missouri State women's swimming & diving will hit the pool for competition for the first time in nearly seven weeks as it ended the 2023 portion of its schedule against the Missouri Tigers back on December 2. The Tigers defeated the Bears 147-96 in front of a record 372 spectators at Hammons Student Center.

Fifth-year senior Jordan Wenner enters this weekend's meets holding the best time in the 100-yard freestyle in the Missouri Valley Conference this season (49.64) earned her a second-place finish in the A final at the Purdue Invitational in November.

The Bears' freestyle dominance continues with DeSpain at the top of the MVC 200-yard freestyle boards with a time of 1:49.43 she used to win the event against Mizzou. DeSpain also holds the third-fastest MVC time in the 500-yard freestyle this year (4:53.42) and the 400 IM (4:19.13).

Caitlyn Friebe has won two MVC Freshman of the Week Awards in her still young rookie season at Missouri State. The Springfield native holds the fourth-fastest MVC time in the 50-yard backstroke (25.19), only beaten by Southern Illinois' Celia Pulido.

Roemer currently holds the best conference time in the 50-yard butterfly (24.88) and the 100 IM (57.04). Missouri State holds five of the top six times in the 100 IM this season.

Bears Splashes (Men)

Missouri State men's swimming & diving will also have its first competition since the record-attended meet against Missouri where the Tigers won 153-90.

Junior Reese Hodgins holds the best time in the 200-yard freestyle among all competitors in the Mid-American Conference with his time of 1:38.22 at the Purdue Invitational, which won him the B Final.

Moffatt, one of the seniors being honored on Friday, owns the top two MAC times in the 500-yard freestyle and three of the top six times. His best time of 4:28.34 was also achieved at the Purdue Invitational. He also holds the top MAC time in the 1,000-yard freestyle (9:13.95), which is also a Hammons Student Center Pool Record and is 14 seconds faster than the next fastest time in the conference this season. His 1,650-yard freestyle time of 15:23.88 is also about 22 seconds faster than the next MAC time.

Hill continues the round of accomplished seniors with him owning the top two times in the 50-yard backstroke with a best time of 22.27 against Arkansas last November. He also has the fastest 100-yard backstroke (47.73) in the MAC so far this season.

Scouting the Panthers

The Drury Panther men are the defending Division II Runner-ups, while the women finished third in the DII national championships last season in Indianapolis.

The Panthers last competed on the same day as Missouri State's last competition. Drury defeated William Jewell 162-58 at Breech Pool on December 2, 2023.

Drury freshman Yuri Cabral holds the top time in the Great Lakes Valley Conference this season in the 100-yard freestyle with a 19.53 time he earned at the SMU Invitational last November. He also got a conference-leading time of 43.44 in the 100-yard freestyle to finish third in the SMU Invitational

The Panthers excel in the freestyle as sophomore Joao Nogueira leads the GLVC on the 500-yard freestyle leaderboard with a 4:21.01 time. He also has the top time in the 200-yard breaststroke (1:56.64).

Freshman Ivan Adamchuk has three of the top four GLVC times in the 200-yard backstroke with his best time being 1:42.19. He also tops the 200 IM leaderboard with a time of 1:44.90.

Junior Davi Mourao also holds the top conference time in the 100-yard breast (52.69).

For the Drury women, senior Josie Bushell holds the top GLVC time in the 50-yard freestyle (23.15), followed by sophomore Ashlyn Moore (25.17). Moore also has the top three times in the 100-yard freestyle with the fastest being 49.93. Bushell leads the way in the 200-yard freestyle (1:49.73).

Senior Lexi Waller leads her conference in the 50-yard backstroke (25.61), the 100-yard backstroke (54.62) and the 200-yard backstroke (1:56.62).

Freshman Anastasiia Yermishyna leads the GLVC with a 25.49 time in the 50-yard butterfly while sophomore Maria Munoz holds the top time in the 200-yard freestyle (1:59.65) and the 400 IM (4:19.50).

Series History

Missouri State women's swimming & diving faces Drury for the 24th and 25th time with the Bears owning a 13-20 record. The MSU women did defeat Drury both times last season in October 2022 and January 2023.

The Missouri State men will face the Panthers for the 43rd and 44th time with the Bears being 22-20 all-time against Drury. The Panthers beat the Bears in both meetings last year.

Order of Events

Friday, January 19:

5:00 p.m. CT Start Time
Diving Competition Begins @ Drury

Swimming Competition Begins @ Missouri State
- 400 Medley Relay
5-Minute Break
- 1,000 Freestyle
- 200 Freestyle
- 50 Freestyle
- 200 IM
15-Minute Break
- 200 Butterfly
- 100 Freestyle
- 200 Backstroke
- 500 Freestyle
10-Minute Break
- 200 Breaststroke
- 400 Freestyle Relay

Saturday, January 20:

Noon CT Start Time
Diving Competition Begins @ Missouri State

Swimming Competition Begins @ Drury
- 200 Medley Relay
5-Minute Break
- 1,000 Freestyle
- 200 Freestyle
- 50 Freestyle
- 200 IM
15-Minute Break
- 100 Butterfly
- 100 Freestyle
- 100 Backstroke
- 500 Freestyle
10-Minute Break
- 100 Breaststroke
- 200 Freestyle Relay

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