SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Transfer Phillip Willett earned his first Mid-American Conference Swimmer of the Week award of the season following his standout performance at the Bears’ tri-dual last weekend.
The sophomore had a strong weekend for the Bears, bringing in second, third and fourth-place finishes while also assisting the Bears’ 200-yard medley relay team finish fourth against the Iowa Hawkeyes and Purdue Boilermakers last weekend.
The transfer was Missouri State’s top performer in the 100yd breaststroke, taking second in a season-best time of 55.53 seconds and defeating a handful of Big 10 swimmers. The first-place finisher recorded a time of 55.14 and a B-standard, so Willett missed out by just .39 seconds. His time in the event sits 43rd nationally and second, by .01 seconds, in the Mid-American Conference.
Willett set a new season-best in the men’s 200yd breast as well, finishing the race with a time of 2:01.40 to earn third. His time sits behind fellow teammate, Artur Osvath, in the MAC and ties 31st nationally with Garrett Clarke of Buffalo. Willett is one of seven sophomores to break into the top-40 list in the 200yd breast.
The sophomore continued his success, finishing fourth in the men’s 200yd individual medley in 1:52.28, defeating three Boilermakers and three Hawkeyes. The St. Louis native assisted the Bears in the 200yd medley relay, serving as the second leg of the event. Willett’s 25.21 second effort in the relay helped the Bears close out the event with a fourth place finish that topped the Bears’ season relay record by just over one second.
The Bears return to the pool Friday, Nov. 18 when they begin their three-day stint at the House of Champions Invitational at the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis, Ind.
News courtesy of Missouri State Athletics.