SPRINGFIELD - Missouri State swimming & diving returns to Hammons Student Center Pool one last time in the 2024-25 season with a two-day meet against Missouri Valley Conference foe UIC starting on Friday at 3:00 p.m. and resuming Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Event results from both days can be followed on
Meet Mobile.
The Bears will celebrate Senior Day at 9:45 a.m. Saturday right before the second day of the meet begins.
Payton Smith,
Reese Hodgins,
Brunno Suzuki-Tomiyama and
Simeon Sabev make up the four swimmers being honored.
Courtney Stanbury will be the lone diver to be recognized this year.Â
Bears Splashes (Women)
- Missouri State women's swimming & diving is coming off split decisions against Missouri and McKendree at Mizzou Aquatic Center last weekend. The Bears defeated the McKendree Bearcats, 204-87, while dropping its matchup against the Mizzou Tigers, 232-67, last Saturday following an exhibition meet on Friday.
- Lana Janson and Cabrini Johnson claimed Missouri State's two event wins on Saturday. Janson won the 200-yard freestyle (1:48.59), defeating Missouri's Piper McNeil by .08 seconds. The win was Janson's fifth individual event victory of the year, all of which have come in freestyle events.
- Johnson won the 200-yard breaststroke (2:13.10) by a .09-second margin over Mizzou's Karolina Bank. Johnson has won seven individual events this season, only trailing fellow-fifth-year swimmer Samantha Roemer (11) on the women's side.
- Freshman Lillie Freulon set new personal best times in three events last week, the 100-yard butterfly (54.97), 200-yard butterfly (2:05.59) and the 100-yard individual medley (59.21).Â
Bears Splashes (Men)
- Missouri State men's swimming & diving dropped both its contests against Missouri, 228-66, and McKendree, 191-102 at Mizzou Aquatic Center on Saturday after its exhibition on Friday.
- Gonzalo Ruiz won the 150-yard backstroke exhibition event on Friday with a time of 1:17.85, defeating the rest of the field by over a second. He is a three-time MVC Freshman of the Week this season.
- Luigi Maciel da Silva won the 50-yard breaststroke exhibition event that consisted of a prelim, semifinal and final heat. He leads the men's team with 10 official event wins this season.
- Freshmen Carter Crook and Keegan Kelly set new personal marks in their first collegiate season. Crook set new best times in the 100-yard individual medley (53.09) and the 200-yard individual medley (1:56.72) on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Kelly swam a personal best 4:39.42 time in the 500-yard freestyle.
Series History vs. UIC
- Missouri State women's swimming & diving is 2-0 against UIC, including a 162-78 win against the Flames in Chicago last season in a tri-meet also involving Evansville on Jan. 26, 2024.
- Missouri State men's swimming & diving is also 2-0 against UIC. The Bears defeated the Flames, 132-107 on Jan. 26, 2024 at Flames Natatorium in a tri-dual with Evansville.
Scouting the Flames
- UIC women's swimming & diving was picked to finish seventh out of nine teams in this year's MVC preseason poll ahead of Evansville and Valparaiso. The Flames finished seventh ahead of those teams at last year's conference championships.
- The UIC women opened the season with losses to Ball State (Oct. 12) and Southern Illinois (Oct. 26) on the road before picking up their first wins at home against Milwaukee (Nov. 1) and Davenport (Nov. 8). UIC finished fourth out of 13 teams at the House of Champions Invitational in Indianapolis behind Marshall, Missouri State and Little Rock. Since then, the Flames have rattled off home wins against Eastern Illinois (Jan. 10), Southern Indiana (Jan. 11) and the University of Chicago (Jan. 18).
- UIC men's swimming & diving was picked to finish fourth out of seven teams in this year's MVC preseason poll ahead of Ball State, Evansville and Valparaiso. The Flames finished fourth ahead of those team's at least year's MAC Championships.
- The UIC men opened the season with a tight win at Ball State (Oct. 12) before dropping its meet at Southern Illinois (Oct. 26). UIC then defeated Milwaukee (Nov.1) and Davenport (Nov. 8) before finishing fifth at the House of Champions Invitational behind IU Indianapolis, Missouri State, Lewis University and Saint Louis. The men's team also defeated Eastern Illinois (Jan. 10), Southern Indiana (Jan. 11) and the University of Chicago (Jan. 18) to open 2025.
- UIC junior Harrison Nolan won his fifth MVC Men's Diver of the Week Award following season-best scores in the 1-meter dive (388.13) and 3-meter dive (406.43) to win both events against Chicago. Nolan is the reigning MAC champion in both diving events.
Head Coach Dave Collins
- Missouri State swimming & diving head coach Dave Collins enters his 14th season and will look for his 13th women's conference championship and fourth men's league title. He has been named MVC Swimming Coach of the Year eight times, including each of the last five years. He was also a five-time MAC Swimming Coach of the Year.
List of Events
Friday, Jan. 24 | 3:00 p.m. CT
400-yard medley relay
400-yard individual medley
100-yard butterfly
200-yard freestyle
50-yard freestyle
100-yard breaststroke
100-yard backstroke
500-yard freestyle
200-yard freestyle relay
Women's 3-meter dive
Men's 1-meter dive
Saturday, Jan. 25 | 10:00 a.m. CT (Senior Day Recognition: 9:45 a.m.)
200-yard medley relay
1,650-yard freestyle
200-yard backstroke
100-yard freestyle
200-yard breaststroke
200-yard butterfly
200-yard individual medley
400-yard freestyle relay
Women's 1-meter dive
Men's 3-meter dive
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