INDIANAPOLIS - The Missouri State men's and women's swimming & diving teams each finished second at the 20th House of Champions Invitational which concluded Saturday night. The women (1,256.5 points) finished each day behind Marshall (1,417.5 points). After leading on Friday, the men's team (1315.5 points) fell just short to host IU Indianapolis (1341.5 points).

Sophia Coleta opened the final night with a personal-best swim in the 1,650-yard freestyle (16:47.37) to win gold ahead of IU Indy's Emmaleigh Zietlow (16:49.91). Coleta's time improved on her previous 1,650 free season-best that led the Missouri Valley Conference.

Fifth-year swimmer Cabrini Johnson earned her first individual gold-medal win of the meet in the 200-yard breaststroke after two silver-medal finishes in the 50 breast (28.68) and the 100 breast (1:01.87). The program record-holder in the 200 breast added another top time to the history books with her 2:12.89 time, the third-fastest in Missouri State history. Johnson paced the field by nearly four seconds.

Samantha Roemer, another fifth-year Bear, continued her dominant invitational by securing a third event win in as many days with a gold in the 100-yard individual medley (55.96). Roemer also won the 200 IM (2:00.64) and the 100-yard butterfly (53.30), the latter of which is a House of Champions record. Roemer also finished fifth in the 100-yard freestyle (50.29).

On the men's side, freshman Gonzalo Ruiz headlined the Bears' bid for the House of Champions title with two gold-medal wins on Saturday. The two-time MVC Freshman of the Week won the 200-yard backstroke (1:45.15) and the 100-yard IM (50.29) to complete the Bears sweep in the event. He was the fastest in the prelims in both events and his 100 IM time was also a House of Champions record. 

Missouri State took the top two spots in the 100 IM as senior Brunno Suzuki-Tomiyama took the silver with a time of 50.93.

Ruiz was also the lead swimmer in the 400-yard medley on Thursday to help set the invitational record in that event as well (3:12.40).

Springfield native Lucas Chadwell swam his first career sub-44-second time in the 100-yard freestyle (43.90) to come away with a silver-medal result. 

Luigi Maciel da Silva was one spot away from completing the breaststroke sweep of the weekend. The House of Champions winner in the 50 breast (24.16) and 100 breast (53.94) finished second in the 200 breast (1:59.26) behind Missouri S&T's Connor Bichsel (1:57.95). Maciel da Silva ended the invitational with three gold and two silver medals.

Missouri State swimming & diving will be off for the rest of the calendar year. The Bears will return to the pool on Jan. 17-18 for a tri-meet against Missouri and McKendree in Columbia. The first day of the meet will begin at 5:00 p.m. and the second day will start at 10 a.m.

Women's Final Scores
1.    Marshall - 1,417.5
2.    Missouri State - 1256.5
3.    Little Rock - 955
4.    UIC - 882
5.    Milwaukee - 825
6.    North Texas - 605
7.    Lynn University - 593.5
8.    IU Indianapolis - 502.5
9.    Butler - 354.5
10.  Saint Louis University - 345.5
11.  Missouri-St. Louis - 269
12.  Lewis University - 198
13.  Quincy University - 59

Men's Final Scores
1.    IU Indianapolis - 1,341.5
2.    Missouri State - 1,315.5
3.    Lewis University - 836.5
4.    Saint Louis University - 771.5
5.    UIC - 749
6.    Lynn University - 743
7.    Milwaukee - 739
8.    Missouri-St. Louis - 610
9.    Missouri S&T - 527
10.  Quincy University - 334
11.  Northern Kentucky - 115