ST. LOUIS - The Missouri State men's swimming & diving team has been selected to finish third in the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Pre-Championship Poll voted on by the league's coaches. The poll
released Monday has Miami (Ohio) picked to win a fifth straight conference championship in swimming & diving's return season to the MVC. The RedHawks earned five of the seven first-place votes. Miami (Ohio) won the last four titles in the Mid-American Conference (2021-24).
Southern Illinois was picked to finish second, one point over Missouri State which finished in the runner-up spot in three of the last four seasons in the MAC. The Salukis and Bears split the remaining two first-place votes. UIC, Ball State, Evansville and Valparaiso round out the poll.
Miami (Ohio) will host the 2025 MVC Men's Swimming & Diving Championships at
Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center from Wednesday, Feb. 19 to Saturday, Feb. 22. Prelim events will start at 9:30 p.m. CT with final events starting at 5:00 p.m. CT. The finals on Thursday will begin at 4:00 p.m.
Bears Splashes (Men)
- Missouri State men's swimming will seek its 22nd conference championship and its sixth MVC title including MVC invitationals (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006). The Bears have won one Sun Belt championship (2008) and three MAC titles (2014, 2018, 2020) since the Valley last sponsored Swimming & Diving.
- The Bears finished second (679.5 points) in last season's MAC Championships behind Miami (Ohio) (724 points). Missouri State held off Southern Illinois (657.5 points) for the runner-up spot.
- Head Coach Dave Collins has won three men's conference titles at the helm of the Bears and is a five-time MAC Men's Coach of the Year (2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020). He will seek his 13th MVC championship when combining his 12 women's titles.
Previous Bears Medal Winners
- Suzuki-Tomiyama won the MAC gold in the 500-yard freestyle (4:26.02), beating out Miami (Ohio) swimmer Bryce Menchofer (4:26.67). Reese Hodgins won bronze in the event last year (4:26.69). Missouri State has won eight straight golds in the 500 free.
- Before last season, Missouri State had won five straight conference wins in the 200-yard freestyle, including Suzuki-Tomiyama winning it in 2022.
- Missouri State has won nine consecutive golds in the 1,650-yard freestyle, including the last four by former Bear Dylan Moffatt. Suzuki-Tomiyama owns the best Bears time in the event this season (16:10.52).
- Matvei Chesakov set the program record in the 50-yard freestyle (19.87) at last year's MAC Championships to take second place.
- Last season, Maciel da Silva won two silver medals in the 100-yard breaststroke (53.10) and the 200-yard breaststroke (1:57.96).
Men's Pre-Championship Poll
1. Miami - 47 Points (5 First-Place Votes)
2. Southern Illinois - 40 Points (1 First-Place Vote)
3. Missouri State - 39 Points (1 First-Place Vote)
4. UIC - 26 Points
5. Ball State - 23 Points
6. Evansville - 13 Points
7. Valparaiso - 8 Points
Order of Events
Day 1: Wednesday, Feb. 19
Finals: 5:00 p.m. CT
- 200-yard Medley Relay
- Team Diving Event
- 800-yard Freestyle Relay
Day 2: Thursday, Feb. 20
Prelims: 9:30 a.m. CT
Finals: 5:00 p.m. CT
- 500-yard Freestyle
- 200-yard Individual Medley
- 50-yard Freestyle
- 1-meter Diving
- 400-yard Medley Relay
Day 3: Friday, Feb. 21
Prelims: 9:30 a.m. CT
Finals: 5:00 p.m. CT
- 100-yard Butterfly
- 400-yard Individual Medley
- 200-yard Freestyle
- 100-yard Breaststroke
- 100-yard Backstroke
- 3-meter Diving (Prelims, B-Final)
- 200-yard Freestyle Relay
Day 4: Saturday, Feb. 22
Prelims: 9:30 a.m. CT
Finals: 5:00 p.m. CT
- 1,650-yard Freestyle
- 200-yard Backstroke
- 100-yard Freestyle
- 200-yard Breaststroke
- 200-yard Butterfly
- 3-meter Diving (Finals)
- 400-yard Freestyle Relay
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