2018 MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- February 14th-17th, 2018
- University of Iowa Aquatic Center
- Live results
On a night when the 50 free was in contention, it was the 500 free that wound up with the smallest margin of victory for the eventual winner.
Missouri State’s Liberty Howell did battle with Southern Illinois’s Bryn Handley in the 500 free, with Howell leading the way most of the race. Howell’s tiny lead was erased, though, as Handley out-split Howell 28.70 to 29.41 on the penultimate 50. Howell, seeing her lead evaporate, dug in with a 26.78 final 50 to Handley’s 27.44, and Howell came out on top, 4:48.14 to 4:48.15.
The remaining individual events were hotly-contested, too.
In the 200 IM, Northern Iowa’s Katie Taylor posted the win in 2:01.75, with Missouri State’s Josie Pearson in 2nd (2:01.94), and Indiana State’s Blanca Saez-Illobre in 3rd (2:01.95).
Then, in the 50 free, Anna Miller of Missouri State topped the field with a 22.74, touching out Northern Iowa’s Crysal Florman (22.88).
Finally, the 200 free relay went to Missouri State. Howell led off in 24.22, followed by Miller (22.25), Sydney Zupan (22.39), and Loretta Stelnicki (22.67). Their combined time of 1:31.53 set a new conference and meet record, taking down the 1:32.04 record set last year by UNI.
SCORES
- Missouri State University 260
- Southern Illinois University 242.5
- University of Northern Iowa 203.5
- Indiana State University 161
- Arkansas-Little Rock 144
- Illinois State University 139
- University of Evansville 112
- Valparaiso University 66