2017 WOMEN’S MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, February 15 – Saturday, February 18
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (Central Time Zone)
- Event Schedule: Wednesday Timed Finals 6PM, Prelims 11AM / Finals 6PM (Thurs-Fri), Prelims 10AM / Finals 4pm (Sat.)
- Defending Champion: Southern Illinois (2016 results and recaps here.)
- Pre-Championship Poll
- Live Results
- Championship Central
- Live Video
- MVC Teams: Missouri State Bears, Southern Illinois Salukis, Illinois State Redbirds, Evansville Purple Aces, Northern Iowa Panthers, Indiana State Sycamores, Arkansas – Little Rock Trojans
The Missouri State women have been chosen as the favorites to win the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Swimming & Diving Championship, but they know that they can’t let their guard down until the dust settles after the last race. Last year they were unseated by the closest of margins when the Southern Illinois Salukis ended the Bears’ eight year title run by a heartbreaking half point, overtaking them on the final event of the meet.
This year Missouri State chose to fire a shot over the bow in the first event of the meet, taking a wrecking ball to the three year old MVC Championship Record in the 200 Medley Relay. The Bears team of Sarah Allegri (25.55,) Lauren Pavel (27.26,) Sydney Zupan (23.89,) and Loretta Stelnicki (22.60) combined for 1:39.30, lowering the 2014 mark by an impressive 1.89 seconds. The Bears held off an inspired Northern Iowa squad of Katie Taylor, Autumn Roepsch, Crystal Forman and Molly Lembezeder who also dipped below the old record by .08, touching at 1:41.11. SIU managed to edge out the Evansville Aces for third.
Southern Illinois answered in the next event with a title defense for the 800 Free Relay. Lauren Stockton, Nicole Fuller, Jordan Ries, and Bryn Handley touched over a second ahead of the Bears to take the event for the third year in a row with a 7:19.71. Missouri State’s second place finish at 7:21.01 put them in the overall lead for the night, and held back Northern Iowa who finished at 7:22.20 for third.
Team scores after day one timed finals:
- Missouri State 74
- Southern Illinois 72
- Northern Iowa 66
- Evansville 56
- Little Rock 54
- Illinois State 30
- Indiana State 28