Story Links Meet Mobile SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State swimming & diving will ring in the 2025 portion of its season with two days of competition against host Mizzou and McKendree on Friday, Jan. 17 and Saturday, Jan. 18 at Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia. Friday’s meet will consist of exhibition events and will not be […]
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State swimming & diving will ring in the 2025 portion of its season with two days of competition against host Mizzou and McKendree on Friday, Jan. 17 and Saturday, Jan. 18 at Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia. Friday’s meet will consist of exhibition events and will not be scored. Saturday’s meet will be an official tri-dual with each team putting up a distinctive score against their two opponents. Both days of competition will be streamed on ESPN+. Live scoring can also be found on Meet Mobile.#BearsUnite
- Missouri State women’s swimming & diving is coming off a second-place finish out of 13 teams at the 2024 House of Champions Invitational hosted by IU Indianapolis back in November. The Bears scored 1,256.5 points across the three-day invitational, only trailing Marshall’s final tally of 1,417.5.
- Fifth-year Samantha Roemer won three individual events across each day of the House of Champions Invitational. Roemer won the 200-yard individual medley (2:00.64), the 100-yard butterfly (53.30) and the 100-yard individual medley (55.96). She also helped the Bears secure gold in the 400-yard medley relay (3:40.51). Roemer was named the Missouri Valley Conference Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 27, 2024 following her impressive showing.
- Another fifth-year swimmer, Cabrini Johnson, won an individual gold in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:12.89). She also won two silvers in the 50-yard breaststroke (28.68) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:01.87).
- Junior Sophia Coleta lit up the score sheet in the distance races in Indianapolis, posting a personal-best time of 16:47.37 to win the 1,650-yard freestyle. She also finished third in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:52.79.
Bears Splashes (Men)
- Missouri State men’s swimming & diving also finished second out of 11 teams at the House of Champions Invitational with a final score of 1,315.5. Only host IU Indianapolis outdid the Bears at 1,341.5.
- Freshman Gonzalo Ruiz won three total gold medals at the House of Champions Invitational, including individual wins in the 200-yard backstroke (1:45.15) and the 100-yard individual medley (50.29). He also led the Bears’ House of Champions record-setting swim in the 400-yard medley relay (3:12.40). He was named MVC Freshman of the Week for the third time this season following the meet.
- Junior Luigi Maciel da Silva won two breaststroke events at the House of Champions Invitational, securing gold in the 50-yard breaststroke (24.16) and the 100-yard breaststroke (53.94). He also finished second in the 200-yard breaststroke (1:59.26) for the second-fastest conference time this season.
Series History vs. Missouri and McKendree
- Missouri State men’s swimming & diving is 8-24 all-time against the Missouri Tigers. Mizzou defeated Missouri State, 153-90, on Dec. 2, 2023 at Hammons Student Center Pool last time the teams met.
- This will be the first dual meet between Missouri State and McKendree’s men’s teams.
- Missouri State women’s swimming & diving is 0-22 all-time against Missouri. The Tigers last defeated the Bears, 147-96, on Dec. 2, 2023 at Hammons Student Center Pool.
- This will also be the first dual matchup between Missouri State and McKendree’s women’s teams.
Scouting the Tigers and Bearcats
- Mizzou men’s swimming & diving opened the 2024-25 season with a nail-biting loss to Purdue, 151-149, on Oct. 25. Since then, the Tigers fell to Texas A&M on Nov. 1 and finished fifth at the Georgia Invitational. Missouri most recently dropped its contest against Louisville, 193-107, on Jan. 3.
- Mizzou women’s swimming & diving has fared similar losses to Purdue, Texas A&M and Louisville while also placing fifth in the women’s competition of the Georgia Invitational.
- McKendree men’s swimming & diving is undefeated in dual meets this season, sporting wins against the MVC’s Southern Illinois and Evansville, as well as Missouri S&T, Indianapolis and Washington (St. Louis). The Bearcats finished third at the Purdue Invitational in November.
- McKendree women’s swimming & diving opened the season with losses to Southern Illinois and Indianapolis. Since then, the Bearcats have defeated Evansville and Washington (St. Louis). The women’s team finished sixth at the Purdue Invitational.
Head Coach Dave Collins
- Missouri State swimming & diving head coach Dave Collins enters his 14th season and will look for his 13th women’s conference championship and fourth men’s league title. He has been named MVC Swimming Coach of the Year eight times, including each of the last five years. He was also a five-time MAC Swimming Coach of the Year.
List of Events
Friday, Jan. 17 | 5:00 p.m. CT
200-yard freestyle relay
50-yard butterfly (skins)*
150-yard butterfly
300-yard individual medley
50-yard backstroke (skins)*
150-yard backstroke
800-yard freestyle (knockout)*
50-yard breaststroke (skins)*
150-yard breaststroke
100-yard individual medley
50-yard freestyle (skins)*
150-yard freestyle
Diving event
400-yard medley relay*The 800-yard freestyle knockout will eliminate the last-place swimmer every 150 yards until there are two swimmers left for the final 200 yards.*Skins events will have three heats. Each team will enter two swimmers per event. The last two swimmers from each heat will be eliminated from the following heat until the third race where the two fastest swimmers will race head-to-head.Saturday, Jan. 18 | 10:00 a.m. CT
200-yard medley relay
1,650-yard freestyle
200-yard freestyle
100-yard backstroke
100-yard breaststroke
200-yard butterfly
50-yard freestyle
100-yard freestyle
200-yard backstroke
200-yard breaststroke
500-yard freestyle
100-yard butterfly
200-yard individual medley
400-yard freestyle relay
1-meter diving
3-meter diving
Bears Splashes (Women)
