Top Achievements
• 2018 MAC bronze medalist in the 400 IM
• 2016-17 MAC gold medalist in the 200-yard breaststroke, 400 individual medley
• 2016-17 MAC bronze medalist in the 200-yard medley relay
Honors & Awards
• MAC Swimmer of the Week - 11/10/16, 10/12/17
• MSU Athletic Director's Honor Roll – Fall 2016, Spring 2017
• CSCAA Scholar All-America – Spring 2017
• All-MAC First Team - 2017, 2018
• Academic All-MAC - 2018
2017-18 Season (Junior)
All-MAC First-Team selection … Earned a bronze medal in the 400 IM (PR, 3:49.97) at the MAC Championships … Recorded NCAA B-Standard times in the 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM … Finished second in the 200 IM and fourth in the 100 breast at the Missouri Show-Me Showdown (Sept. 29) … Against Southern Illinois on Oct. 7, he won the 200 breast and took second in the 200 fly and 200 IM … Won the 200 IM and finished third in the 200 free (PR, 1:45.41) against South Dakota (Oct. 20-21) … Took fourth in the 100 breast and 200 IM at Drury (Jan. 18) and finished third in the 200 breast against Missouri on Jan. 20 … Finished fourth in the 200 fly and tied for sixth in the 100 fly at the Shamrock Invitational (Jan. 26-27) … Set career bests (7) in the 200 free, 500 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 fly and 400 IM.
2016-17 Season (Sophomore)
Named the MAC Champion in the 400 IM (3:46.67) and 200 breast (1:57.07), picking up personal-bests, B-cuts and pool records in both events … Earned a bronze medal as a member of the Bears’ 200 medley relay squad … Finished fifth in the 200 IM … Began Missouri State career with a third-place finish in the 100 breast and fourth-place finish in the 200 IM at the Missouri Show-Me Showdown (10/7) … Assisted the Bears in the winning 200 medley relay against North Dakota (10/22) … Against the Fighting Hawks, he won the 400 IM (3:58.85), placed second in the 200 IM and 200 breast and finished third in the 100 breast … Finished third in the 200 breast against Drury on Oct. 29 … Made out with three top-five finishes against the Iowa Hawkeyes and Purdue Boilermakers on Nov. 4 … Set the meet record in the 200 IM at the House of Champions Invitational, where he set a personal-best in 1:47.45 … Helped the 200 and 400 medley relay squads to first-place finishes … Claimed the 400 IM at the event in 3:50.54 … Helped the Bears to a first-place finish in the 200 medley relay and took first in the 100 fly (51.33) at Evansville on Dec. 2 … Picked up three top-three finishes against Southern Illinois and aided the Missouri State in its first-place, 200 medley relay … Helped the Bears to a first-place finish in the 200 medley relay against Drury (1/19) and earned two top-five finishes in the 100 breast and 200 IM … Collected three top-five finishes against Missouri, including a first-place finish in the 400 IM (3:59.24) … Took fifth in the 400 IM and 200 breast at the Shamrock Invitational on Jan. 28 … Finished the season with the team’s fastest time in the 400 IM.
2015-16 Season (Freshman at South Carolina)
Competed first year of freshman eligibility at the University of South Carolina … Participated at the 2016 Swimming and Diving Championships for the Gamecocks … Finished meet-high 21st and had a C Final appearance in the 400 IM after a personal-best time of 3:51.82 in preliminaries ... Earned three collegiate-best times during meet including the 100 breast (55.32) and the 200 breast (1:59.48) ... Set B consideration times in the 100 breast (3
rd best on team), 200 breast (3
rd best on team), and 400 IM (3
rd best on team). His 200 breast time is sixth best all-time in program history ... Earned first collegiate event victory by finishing with top time in 200 IM in meet versus East Carolina and William and Mary ... Also had top-three showings in quadrangular versus Queens/UNC-Wilmington/Wingate, Duke, Georgia Tech Invite, Florida and Purdue
Background
During prep career he competed at club level with the Rockwood Swim club ... Won events at Speedo Champions series in Jenks, Okla., in 400 IM March 2015, two second-place finishes in 200 breast and 400 IM at Speedo Champions Series in Columbia ... Previously qualified for AT&T Winter National Championships in 2014 ... Was a 200-meter breaststroke NCSA Junior National Champion in 2014
Personal
Son of John and Trish Willett … Has three brothers, John, Patrick and Thomas, and one sister, Colleen … Plans to major in business.
| Career Bests at Missouri State |
| Event |
Time |
Opponent/Meet |
Date |
| 100 Free |
48.72 |
Shamrock Invitational |
1/28/17 |
| 200 Free |
1:45.41 |
vs. South Dakota |
10/20/17 |
| 500 Free |
4:47.50 |
vs. South Dakota |
10/21.17 |
| 100 Back |
55.26 |
vs. Evansville |
12/1/17 |
| 100 Breast |
54.23 |
2018 MAC Championships |
3/1/18 |
| 200 Breast |
1:58.51 |
Purdue Invitational |
11/18/17 |
| 100 Fly |
51.33 |
at Evansville |
12/2/16 |
| 200 Fly |
1:47.01 |
2018 MAC Championships |
3/1/18 |
| 200 IM |
1:47.40 |
IUPUI House of Champions Invitational |
11/18/16 |
| 400 IM |
3:49.97 |
2018 MAC Championships |
3/1/18 |
