Missouri State vs. UIC & Evansville | UIC/NCC Invitational
Date	Friday, January 26 | 5:00 p.m. CT  Saturday, January 27 | 10:30 a.m. CT
Locations	Friday: Chicago, Illinois  Saturday: Westmont, Illinois
Site	Friday: UIC Flames Natatorium  Saturday: FMC Natatorium
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SPRINGFIELD - Missouri State swimming & diving continues competition this weekend with another doubleheader to close out the regular season. The men's and women's teams will head to Chicago for a dual meet against conference foes UIC and Evansville at the UIC Flames Natatorium on Friday starting at 5:00 p.m. The Bears will be up early the following day for the UIC/NCC Invitational at FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Illinois starting at 10:30 a.m. Live updates will be available on Meet Mobile.

Divers will participate in Saturday's UIC/NCC Invitational from UIC Flames Natatorium concurrently with the swimmers at FMC Natatorium.

Bears Splashes (Women)

• Missouri State women's swimming & diving is coming off a strong outing last weekend in a home-and-home doubleheader against Drury University in Springfield. The Bears completed the sweep of the Panthers, winning 166-72 on Friday and 153-84 on Saturday.

• Lily DeSpain, one of the 13 seniors honored last Friday on Senior Day, had a great last hurrah in Springfield by leading the women with three wins across the weekend. She reset her MVC-leading time in the 200-yard freestyle on Friday with a 1:48.25. She also posted a time of 2:02.69 in her win in the 200 IM on Saturday, which is currently the third-best individual time in the conference.

• Senior Jordan Wenner won the 100-yard freestyle in both meets against Drury (50.73 and 50.39, respectively). She holds the best MVC time in the event this season with a 49.64 she earned at the Purdue Invitational.

• Wenner and Despain lead Missouri State with six individual wins against opponents.

• Reigning MVC Freshman of the Week Lindsey Hervey and fellow freshman Claire Culberson each nabbed two wins over the weekend against Drury. Hervey won the 500-yard freestyle (4:59.52) on Friday and the 1,000-yard freestyle on Saturday (10:15.04). Culberson won the 1,000 free on Friday (10:14.22) and the 100-yard breaststroke on Saturday (1:02.73). 

• Reigning MVC Diver of the Week Maggie Arceneaux put up the best score by a Bear in the 1-meter dive on Saturday (247.42).

Bears Splashes (Men)

• Missouri State men's swimming & diving split its two meets against Drury over the weekend, winning 142-99 on Friday at Hammons Student Center Pool before losing a tight 123-118 finish on Saturday at Breech Pool.

• Senior Dylan Moffat won his third career Mid-American Conference Swimmer of the Week Award and first for a Bear this season following a perfect performance in the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyles in both meets. He won Friday's 1,000 free with a time of 9:27.80 and the 500 free with a time of 4:36.32. He followed that up with wins in the same events on Saturday, with times of 9:30.03 in the 1,000 free and 4:34.55 in the 500 free. 

• Moffatt leads the Bears with eight individual wins against opponents, followed by senior Robert Hill who has six.

• Junior Reese Hodgins showed why he reigns supreme in the 200-yard freestyle in the MAC with a win in the event against Drury (1:38.98). He remains at the top of the MAC leaderboards in the 200 free with a time of 1:38.22 he earned at the Purdue Invitational.

• Sophomore diver Storm Opdahl put up the two best times by a Bear in the 1-meter dive across both meets against Drury. On Friday at Breech Pool, Opdahl put up a winning score of 314.10, giving him the fourth-highest MAC score this season. He then put up a 308.85 score on Sunday. In the 3-meter, Opdahl earned a score of 337.05, just one point shy of the best score he earned in an intrasquad meet in November (338.93).

Scouting the Flames and the Purple Aces

• UIC women's swimming & diving was picked to finish sixth out of nine teams in the MVC Preseason Poll released in early October. The Flames most recently fell short in a close effort on the road against the University of Chicago on Jan. 19, 150-148. 

• Evansville women's swimming & diving was picked to finish eighth out of nine teams in the MVC Preseason Poll. The Purple Aces are coming off a road win against Eastern Illinois, 114-81, on Jan. 20.

• UIC men's swimming & diving also lost in a nailbiter against the University of Chicago by a score of 149-147. Both men's and women's teams are led by head coach Ashley Dell.

• Evansville men's swimming & diving swept Eastern Illinois (157-41) and Wabash College (163-42) on Saturday.  Evansville's men's and women's teams are led by head coach Stuart Wilson.

Series History

• Missouri State women's swimming & diving is 1-0 all-time against UIC, winning the first matchup last season, 195-103, on Jan. 14, 2023.

• Missouri State men's swimming & diving also holds a 1-0 record against the Flames with a win in the same dual meet. The Bears won that head-to-head matchup 201.5-94.5.

• Women's swimming & diving is 19-2 all-time against Evansville with the most recent matchup also coming on Jan. 14, 2023 with the Bears coming out on top, 206-72.

• Men's swimming & diving is a perfect 23-0 against Evansville. The Bears beat the Purple Aces 181-114 on Jan. 14, 2023 at Deaconess Aquatic Center.

Order of Events

Friday, January 26
vs. UIC and Evansville
UIC Flames Natatorium

5:00 p.m. CT Start Time
- 400 Medley Relay
- 1,650 Freestyle
- 200 Freestyle
- 50 Freestyle
- 400 IM
Diving Break
- 100 Butterfly
- 100 Freestyle
- 100 Backstroke
- 500 Freestyle
10-minute break
- 100 Breaststroke
- 200 Freestyle Relay

Saturday, January 27 
UIC/NCC Invitational
Diving Competition @ UIC Flames Natatorium
Swimming Competition @ FMC Natatorium

Participating Teams: Missouri State, Augustana College, Evansville, IUPUI, Millikin, North Central, UIC 

10:30 a.m. CT Start Time
- 200 Medley Relay
- 1,000 Freestyle
- 200 Freestyle
- 100 Backstroke
- 100 Breaststroke
- 200 Butterfly
- 50 Freestyle
- 100 Freestyle
- 200 Backstroke
- 200 Breaststroke
- 500 Freestyle
- 100 Butterfly
- 200 IM
- 400 Freestyle Relay