CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Missouri State men's swimming & diving team ended the first day of the Mid-American Conference Championships sitting tied for third place after the first two relay events.

Miami (Ohio), the three-time defending MAC champions, swept each relay with new pool records on the first day to secure 80 points while Southern Illinois secured silver medals in both and sit in second with 68 points.

Missouri State opened the championships with a fourth-place showing in the 200-yard medley relay. Senior Robert Hill, sophomore Luigi Maciel da Silva, freshman Nadim Elgohary and sophomore Lucas Chadwell swam a team season-best 1:27.34, besting the quartet's previous best of 1:28.29 it achieved at the Purdue Invitational last November.

To conclude the night, Missouri State improved in the 800-yard freestyle relay to earn its first medal of the meet. Sophomore Jack Grandy, junior Brunno Suzuki-Tomiyama, senior Dylan Moffatt and junior Reese Hodgins won bronze with a time of 6:29.41, just .16 seconds behind second-place Southern Illinois. MSU's time surpassed its previous season-best time by over 11 seconds.

Grandy had the Bears out front from the leadoff position where he earned a pool record in his 200-yard freestyle portion (1:35.36), besting Eastern Michigan's Brian Moore who swam a 1:36.45 at Dr. Edward J. Shea Natatorium in 2013.

Day 2 of the MAC Men's Swimming & Diving Championships will begin with prelims for the first individual and diving events of the meet starting at 10:30 a.m. CT. The finals for Thursday's events begin at 6:00 p.m. CT.

Day 1 Standings

1. Miami (Ohio) - 80
2. Southern Illinois - 68
3. Missouri State - 62
3. Ball State - 62
5. UIC - 56
6. Evansville - 52
7. Valparaiso - 48

Tomorrow's Schedule

Day 2: Thursday, March 7
Prelims: 10:30 a.m. CT (Watch)
Finals: 6:00 p.m. CT (Watch)
- 500-yard Freestyle
- 200-yard Individual Medley
- 50-yard Freestyle
- 1-meter Diving
- 400-yard Medley Relay