The Missouri State Bears celebrated their fifth straight Missouri Valley Conference title on Friday night in Carbondale, Illinois as the Bears dominated the three-day post NCAA competition with 929.50 with Southern Illinois in second at 548.5 and Indiana State in third at 475.5.
Team Scores
- Missouri State – 929.5
- Southern Illinois – 548.5
- Indiana State – 475.5
- Illinois State – 444
- UNI – 344
- Evansville – 328.5
- Little Rock – 318
- Valparaiso – 117
- Swimmer of the Year: Anna Miller, MSU
- Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Mima Zaborska, SIU
- Swimming Coach of the Year: Dave Collins, MSU
- Diver of the Year: Caroline Lecoeur, ILS
- Freshman Diver of the Year: Ally Brown, SIU
- Diving Coach of the Year: Jim Huelskamp, MSU
The Bears were highlighted by swimmer of the meet Anna Miller, who won the 50 (22.29) and 100 free (48.66) and 100 fly (53.62), all in record time. Miller also swam on four winning relays as the Bears swept all five.
It started with the 200 free relay on Wednesday night with the team of Yuliya Zubina, Ulyana Zubina, Jordan Wenner and Miller winning at 1:32.02, and it ended with Sami Roemer, Liberty Howell, Wenner and Miller winning the 400 free relay in dominating fashion at 3:20.52.
Miller also anchored the two victorious medley relays, starting with the 400 medley on Wednesday, which the Bears won with the team of Howell, Yuliya Zubina, Roemer and Miller at 3:38.89, well ahead of runner-up SIU at 3:43.45. The Bears returned Thursday to dethrone defending champs SIU with a 1:40.03 with a new team of Kellie Fischer, Yuliya Zubina, Ulyana Zubina and Miller, ahead of SIU at 1:41.18.
The Bears also took care of business in the 800 free relay at 7:25.89 with the team of Sydney Radloff, Anna Lucas, Roemer and Howell, winning a tight battle over Indiana State at 7:26.99.
Liberty Howell was also a big winner on the weekend, following in the family legacy of her older sisters who also swam at Missouri State. She won the 500 (4:44.47) in a near conference record on Wednesday night, which put her 41st this season in Division I. On Thursday, she won the 200 free at 1:46.72, which was a conference record and just outside the national top 50. Howell closed out her weekend with a 16:43.08 in the 1650, leading a 1-2-3-4 sweep for the Bears.
Missouri State also had a win from Sydney Radloff in the 400 IM, who won at 4:20.31, six seconds ahead of runner-up Emily Keebler from Illinois State (4:26.49).
Southern Illinois’ Mima Zaborska, who was named as freshman of the year, won three events for the Salukis. The freshman from Slovakia first took the 200 IM at 2:02.36 in a nail-biting finish over Missouri State’s Sami Roemer (2:02.43), and followed it up with another nail-biting finish with a 1:01.15 in the 100 breast, narrowly beating Missouri State’s Yuliya Zubina (1:01.36).
Zaborska capped the weekend off with a win in the 200 breast at 2:12.96. It was a less close finish as Missouri State’s Alessia Puleo (2:14.03) finished in second place.
The Salukis also celebrated a win in their home pool with Lucia Romero in the 100 backstroke on Thursday with a 54.65.
Northern Iowa’s Amber Finke also collected a win in the 200 back (1:57.72) and Indiana State’s Marni Gray won the 200 fly (2:01.89) to become the second swimmer from Indiana State to win an individual conference title in program history.