Missouri State Set for Cross-Town Matchup With Drury

SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri State swimming teams travel across town Saturday to renew their annual series with cross-town foe Drury. Last season, both MSU squads split the series matchup with Drury 1-1.

• The meet kicks off at 11 a.m. in Springfield, Mo.

• Live results can be found on the Meet Mobile app that is downloadable through the app store.

• A live broadcast of the event will also be available through the Drury Athletics YouTube Channel.

• 1-Meter and 3-Meter Diving will take place at Missouri State with a start time of 11:30 a.m.

• Relays: 11-4-2

• Individual: 9-4-3-2-1

• MSU = 1, 3, 5

• Drury = 2, 4, 6

• 200 Medley Relay

• 1000 Free

• 200 Free

• 100 Backstroke

• 100 Breaststroke

• 200 Butterfly

• 50 Free

• -15 Min Break-

• 100 Free

• 200 Backstroke

• 200 Breaststroke

• 500 Free

• 100 Fly

• -15 Min Break-

• 200 IM

• 200 Free Relay

• After claiming the 2020 Missouri Valley Conference championship title in February, the MSU women’s swimming and diving team was unanimously selected as MVC favorites in the preseason poll, collecting all eight first-place votes.

• The men’s squad is also is coming off a MAC Championship in 2020.

• Freshman Robert Hill has made an immediate impact. The Kansas City product swam the 14th-fastest time in the country at 48.08 in the 100-backstroke in his first-ever collegiate meet against Missouri back on Nov. 7.

• As a result of his efforts, Hill was named MAC Swimmer of the Week.

• Last season, senior Michael Claunch won the gold medal at the 2019-20 MAC Championships on the 3-meter diving boards, marking his first career individual championship win. Claunch also won silver on 1-meter boards. He earned his second trip to the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships.

• Pawel Krawczyk won the gold medal in the 500 freestyle and 800 free relays at the 2019-20 MAC Championships. He was a silver medalist in the 200 and 1650 freestyle as well.

• Senior Michael Hampel was a gold medalist in the 100 breaststroke and 400 medley relay at the 2019-20 MAC Championships. He also was a silver medalist in the 200 breaststroke and 200 medley relay.

• As a freshman, Jonathan Hill was part of the 2019-20 MAC gold medalist 800 freestyle relay team and stepped to the podium in the 200, 500 and 1650 free events.

• Tyler Lewis was a 2019-20 MAC silver medalist in the 400 IM and made a podium appearance in the 200 IM as a freshman.

• All-MAC returnees include Arthur Cury, Claunch, Hampel, Hill, Krawczyk, Lewis and Sebastian Odent.

• The Missouri State women have won 16 of the last 18 MVC conference championships and are currently on a streak of four straight conference crowns.

• Three-time All-MVC honoree Libby Howell highlights the returners after winning three individual events at last year’s championship. Howell also played a part in capturing a duo of relay titles.

• Three-time All-MVC honoree Anna Miller, garnered wins in three individual events and two relays at last year’s conference championship.

• The Bears return another individual title winner in Alessia Puleo, who won the MVC 200-yard Breaststroke in 2020.

• Howell holds school records in the 200 free, 1000 free and 1650 free.

• All MVC returnees include Grace Beahan, Madison Brown, Kellie Fischer, Sam Hietpas, Howell, Miller, Dayana Popa, Puelo, Sydney Radloff, Alex Thorson and Ashley Yarbrough.

• Men’s: Missouri State leads 21-17

• Women’s: Missouri State trails 8-20

• The MSU men have taken the past six of seven against Drury dating back to 2013.

• Both MSU squads defeated Drury in last year’s first meet as the men won 122-199, while the women won 131.5-111.5.

• Drury avenged their loss taking the second matchup with a men’s score of 165-78 and a women’s score of 141-98.

• Junior Libby Howell claimed three titles for the Bears, besting the fields in the 1000, 500 and 200 in last year’s victory to pace the women.

• Anna Miller also won the 50 free and 100 free in the event.

• On the men’s side, Jonathan Hill picked up the win in the 200 free, while James Vaughn won the 200 butterfly and Arthur Cury took the 100 free title.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to compete on Saturday,” Missouri State head swimming and diving coach Dave Collins said. “Our student-athletes have endured a challenging fall without competition and I know they are eager to race.”

“Drury is having a very good year and raced extremely well in the fall,” Collins acknowledged. “We are expecting some fast times.”

• Dave Collins (Drury, 2005) is in his 10th season as Missouri State head coach.

• Collins garnered Missouri Valley Conference and MAC Coach of the Year honors in 2019-20.

• Under Collins’ watch, the Bears have won eight MVC conference titles and three MAC championships.

• Last year, Collins engineered an unforgettable campaign, sweeping the MVC and MAC Championships. Earning their fourth-straight Valley title and 16th overall, the MSU women ran away with the crown after winning seven individual and three relay events to finish with 826.50 points. The MSU men were equally dominant at the MAC Championships, claiming ten conference champion citations throughout the meet. Standout senior Antonio Thomas was recognized as the MAC’s Co-Swimmer of the Year and Most Outstanding Senior. Michael Claunch earned his second trip to the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships to represent the Bears on the 1-and-3 meter boards.

• As head coach, Collins and the Bears’ staff have produced 36 All-MVC first team selections and 16 All-MAC first teamers. Collins has also coached five conference swimmers of the year, a list that includes Dora Kiss (2016), Lauren Pavel (2015, 17), Renata Sander (2011-14) and Uvis Kalnins (2014). Academically, with team GPAs of 3.0 or higher, both Bear squads have annually earned CSCAA Scholar All-America team honors.

• Since his arrival at Missouri State, the Bears have broken every men’s and women’s school record in the non-freestyle events.

• Collins has taken the Bears’ recruiting efforts to new heights. He and his coaching staff are responsible for signing Missouri State’s first top-100 recruit: 2012 Olympian Uvis Kalnins of Latvia. CollegeSwimming.com listed Kalnins as the No. 68 overall swimmer in the 2012 recruiting class.

• Before becoming head coach, Collins served as an assistant for four seasons at Missouri State under MSU Hall of Famer Jack Steck.

• After the conclusion of the meet at Drury, the Swim Bears will be back in action Jan. 22-23, as they travel to South Bend, Ind., to take on Notre Dame. Start time for the event has yet to be announced.