The Missouri State University women showed their dominance yet again on day one of the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Championships. The Bears picked up four wins Thursday night at Edward Shea Natatorium in Carbondale, IL including a new Valley record in the 400 Medley Relay; touching in 3:42.83. All four of the Bears wins were repeat victories from 2013.
MSU has won ten of the last eleven Valley titles and are looking to cap off their seventh straight by the end of the weekend. If the Bears continue this level of domination, all signs point to them picking up number seven.
Despite MSU’s preeminence throughout the day, the University of Evansville Purple Aces 200 free relay foursome of Danielle Freeman, Sam Montgomery, Abby Smith and Michelle Tipton would take home the evenings first title, finishing in 1:33.23, just narrowly missing the Valley record of 1:33.11. Southern Illinois University took second in 1:33.48, followed by Illinois State University in 1:33.93.
New Records:
400 medley relay: Missouri State University, 3:42.83 (Previous record: 3:44.24, MSU)
Repeat Champions:
Dora Kiss, MSU (500 free, 4:51.52)
Renata Sander, MSU (200 IM, 2:03.18. *Ties own conference record.)
Kate Gately, MSU (50 free, 23.17)
Anna Ahlin, Renata Sander, Roni Balzam, Kate Gately-MSU (400 medley relay, 3:42.83)
Scores After Day 1
1. Missouri State University: 299.5
2. Southern Illinois University: 204
3. Illinois State University: 192.5
4. University of Evansville: 139
5. University of Northern Iowa: 102
6. University of Arkansas, Little Rock: 63
Day two prelims begin Friday at 11:00 AM (CST) and finals are slated to begin at 6:00 PM (CST)
Click here for complete day one results (PDF)
You can stream day two finals here, starting at 6:00 PM (CST) Friday.