After a month that’s included the Show-Me Showdown, two road conference duals, two home events at Hammons Student Center and a two-day meet at the University of Kansas, the Missouri State swimming and diving team concludes a busy opening month of competition with a dual at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at the Mizzou Aquatic Center against the Missouri Tigers.
Friday’s dual with Missouri will have live results, with the link available before the start of the meet on the Missouri State swimming and diving schedule page on missouristatebears.com.
This will be the final meet before the Bears take three weeks off from dual action and head to the Louisville Invite on Nov. 21.
Last Weekend Overview
The Missouri State swimming and diving teams concluded the Kansas Double Dual on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Robinson Natatorium in Lawrence, Kan. The men’s team was topped by Denver 190.5-162.5, while the Bears’ women’s side was defeated by Denver and Kansas, 278.5-73.5 and 277-75, respectively.
Six pool records were broken by the men’s team by the end of the dual opposite Denver.
Paul Le and Uvis Kalnins each broke two records apiece, while the 200 free relay squad of Le/Kalnins/Caleb Schuermann/Isaac McKnight and the 200 medley relay contingent of Le/Isaac Springer/Will Brand/Kalnins also set Robinson Natatorium records.
Meanwhile on the women’s side on the first day of the meet, MSU was led by Dora Kiss who hit a best-mark in the 200 fly (2:05.50) by finishing in third place, while Anna Bump also placed third in the 50 free with a time of 24.31. In the 100 back, both Sydney Zupan (58.42) and Emily Chesser (1:00.12) snatched season-best marks. Andi Burroughs beat her top time of the year in the 100 breast (1:09.35) for the Bears.
On the second day, the 200 free relay team of Kate Gately, Megan Holthoff, Anna Bump and Shannon Myer put up a 1:38.76 for a third-place finish to eclipse a season-best time. The Bears also made a top mark for the year in the 400 free relay (3:36.92) behind Ibby Simcox, Sydney Zupan, Bump and Myer, while Heather Snyder swam her best time of the season in the 500 free (5:15.90).
About the University of Missouri
The Bears and Tigers meet for a second time this season, the first being in the Show-Me Showdown on Oct. 3 at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.
For the Tigers’ men’s side, this is only their second event of the season having only competed at the Showdown this season. The Tigers’ women’s team competed in their second meet and first dual of the season on Friday, Oct. 24, defeating Southeastern Conference foe Arkansas 166-134.
Last season, the Tigers and Bears met at Hammons Student Center for a dual on Nov. 8. While the Bears men (155-88) and women (139-97) both fell to the Tigers in the home event, MSU had strong performances on both sides.
The Tigers’ men’s squad finished fifth at last year’s SEC Swimming and Diving Championships, while the women placed ninth. At the championships, the Tigers combined to break eight school records and recorded 14 top-eight individual finishes.
Kalnins Earns MAC Men’s Swimmer of the Week
Missouri State junior Uvis Kalnins was honored by the Mid-American Conference Monday, Oct. 27, as the Men’s Swimmer of the Week for his performance at the Kansas Double Dual.
Kalnins helped the Bears’ men’s swimming and diving team break four pool records in the dual against Denver at the Robinson Natatorium in Lawrence, Kan.
A returning NCAA qualifier for MSU, Kalnins broke two individual pool records in the 200 IM (1:49.81) and the 400 IM (3:57.16) during the two-day dual. He also was a member of the 200 free relay team that started the dual with a pool-record 1:22.71 in the event, followed later by serving as the anchor leg of the 200 medley relay team that earned pool-record honors by finishing in a time of 1:32.30.
Weekly Honors Update
The Missouri State swimming and diving team has had four individuals during the 2014-15 season earn conference swimmer of the week honors.
Following Uvis Kalnins’s first Swimmer of the Week nod of 2014-15 on Monday, MSU’s Garrett Nevels, Lauren Pavel and Paul Le make up the contingent of MSU student-athletes to be recognized this season.
Missouri State senior diver Garrett Nevels was named the Mid-American Conference Men’s Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 20 for his performance at the Duel in the Pool. The three-time conference diver of the year and now three-time MAC Men’s Swimmer of the week broke Hammons Student Center and Missouri State school records in the 1- and 3-meter diving events to earn the award.
Sophomore Lauren Pavel earned one of the Missouri Valley Conference’s Swimmer of the Week awards on Oct. 14 following her effort in duals at Evansville and Southern Illinois. The 2013-14 all-MVC swimmer won four individual events over a weekend versus the Purple Aces and the Salukis, including sweeping all three events she competed in for the Bears at Evansville.
Senior Paul Le was recognized on Oct. 6 as the Men’s Swimmer of the Week by the Mid-American Conference for his performance at the Missouri Show-Me Showdown. Le won both of the events he competed in individually at the Showdown and also helped two relay teams to fourth-place finishes. Swimming opposite the University of Missouri and seven other colleges, Le won the 200 IM in a time of 1:48.47 and the 100 backstroke with a time of 48.89. He has now been awarded conference swimmer of the week six times in his career.
Men’s Swimming and Diving First in Preseason Poll
The Missouri State men’s swimming and diving team was selected to finish first in the Mid-American Conference preseason coaches’ poll, announced Friday, Oct. 3.
Following the Bears’ 19th conference championship in 2013-14 – and first as a member of the MAC – MSU was chosen among the conference’s head coaches for this year’s title, ahead of the likes of Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, Miami, Southern Illinois, Ball State and Evansville.
Follow the Bears
Check out all the latest news and information on the Bears swimming and diving team at MissouriStateBears.com and follow @MOStateSwim for updates throughout the season.
College Swimming News corurtesy of Missouri State swimming and diving.
That is an amazing photo