With a score of 875 points, the Missouri State Bears won the 2006 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championship Saturday night at Dr. Edward J. Shea Natatorium on the campus of Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Ill., led by Andi Rojas, the 2006 MVC Co-Swimmer of the Meet.
Meet Results
Final Women’s Championship Results
1. Missouri State, 875
2. Southern Illinois, 824
3. Illinois State, 765
4. Evansville, 398
5. UNI, 273
2006 MVC Co-Swimmers of the Year
Julie Ju of Southern Illinois and Andi Rojas of Missouri State
2006 MVC Diver of the Year
Christina Curtaneanu, Southern Illinois
2006 MVC Diving Coach of the Year
Jim Huelskamp, Missouri State
2006 MVC Swimming Coach of the Year
Jack Steck, Missouri State
Final Men’s Invitational Results
1. Missouri State, 713
2. Southern Illinois, 688
3. Evansville, 300
2006 MVC Invitational Swimmer of the Year
Antonio Santoro, Southern Illinois
2006 MVC Invitational Diver of the Year
Brandon Birchuk, Southern Illinois
2006 MVC Invitational Diving Coach of the Year
Joy Zhao
2006 MVC Invitational Swimming Coach of the Year
Ricky Perkins, Evansville
SATURDAY’S FINAL
1650-Yard Freestyle
Elizabeth McGowan of Southern Illinois finished first in the 1650-Yard Freestyle with a time of 17:08.48. McGowan, who won the same event two years ago, finished her senior campaign with the conference title in the event that she holds the MVC meet record. Her first-place finished was capped by a third-place finish from fellow Saluki Briley Bergen. Liz Geisler of Missouri State finished second.
200-Yard Backstroke
Francy Palma of Missouri state came in first in the 200-Yard Backstroke with a time of 2:03.55 while her teammate, Allison Zeller, came in third with a time of 2:07.69. Kelly Dvorak of Southern Illinois was the second-place finisher. She swam a time of 2:05.44.
100-Yard Freestyle
Julie Ju of Southern Illinois took home her third conference title on Saturday night, winning the women’s 100-Freestyle event with a time of 50.54. Ju also won the women’s 100-Breaststroke and 50-Freestyle. Isabel Madeira of Southern Illinois pulled out a second-place finish, earning all-conference honors in the event, with a time of 52.21. Rounding out third place was Jordan Hawkins of Missouri State (52.43).
200-Yard Breaststroke
MSU’s Kyla Meuer captured the event title with a 200-Yard Breaststroke time of 2:20.66. Nora Bunford of Southern Illinois was second (2:22.75) and Mary O’Neil of Missouri State was third (2:26.11).
200-Yard Butterfly
Andi Rojas of Missouri State placed first overall, 2:05.11, in the 200-Yard Butterfly final. Illinois State’s Tracy Deyell was second with a time of 2:07.27 and Rachel Winius of Southern Illinois closed third with a 2:08.07.
Women’s 3-Meter Diving
Stacey Arkovich of Missouri State took home the 3-Meter Diving crown with a total of 283.65. Cristina Curtaneanu and Jessica Leong of SIU finished second and third in the event with scores of 274.95 and 266.95, respectively.
400-Freestyle Relay
In the final event of the championship, the 400-Freestyle Relay, Southern Illinois posted a MVC and meet record on its way to the title. The team of Isabel Madeira, Kelsey Kinsella, Danielle Quarry and Julie Ju clocked in with a time of 3:27.48. The foursome bested the mark of 3:28.40 set by Evansville in 2001. MSU was second (3:28.04) and Illinois State was third (3:33.59).
FRIDAY’S FINALS
200-Yard Medley Relay
Missouri State opened the evening session with a first-place showing in the 200-Yard Medley Relay with a MVC and meet record time of 1:45.34. The team of Allison Zeller, Kyla Meuer, Andi Rojas and Jordan Hawkins bested the old record of 1:45.71 set at last year’s championship meet. The Bears won the MVC event title for the third-straight year. Southern Illinois claimed second with a time of 1:46.05 and Illinois State was third 1:47.61.
400-Yard Individual Medley
Katie Lowery of Southern Illinois captured the crown in the women’s 400-Yard Individual Medley with a standard of 4:32.29. Tracy Deyell of Illinois State was second (4:32.85) and the Salukis’ Danielle Quarry was third (4:33.05).
100-Yard Butterfly
In the women’s 100-Yard Butterfly, Missouri State claimed the top-two places as Andi Rojas posted a 56.97, to finish first, and teammate Jennifer Burchard was second with a 58.14. Evansville’s Allison Knuth was third with a time of 58.56.
200-Yard Freestyle
The four final of the night, the 200-Yard Freestyle, saw SIU’s Isabel Madeira set a meet record with a mark of 1:51.81. She topped the mark of 1:51.98 set in 2001 by Kim Dodson of Evansville en route to the first place title. The Bears’ earned second and third place points from Liz Geisler (1:52.29) and Erica Norgren (1:52.30), respectively.
100-Yard Breaststroke
Julie Ju of Southern Illinois took home the league crown with a standard of 1:04.43. Teammate Nora Bunford was second with a time of 1:04.57 and Kyla Meuer of Missouri State finished third in 1:05.28.
100-Yard Backstroke
Missouri State’s Allison Zeller won the MVC 100-Yard Backstroke title for the second year in a row with a mark of 58.01. She out-stretched teammate Francy Palma, second in 58.10, and SIU’s Kelly Dvorak, third with a time of 58.14.
800-Yard Freestyle Relay
Southern Illinois captured the final event of the night session with a time of 7:32.43 in the 800-Yard Freestyle Relay. The team of Isabel Madeira, Elizabeth McGowman, Kelsey Kinsella and Julie Ju posted a time one-hundredth of a second shy of the MVC and meet record. MSU placed second (7:34.56) and Illinois State finished third (7:47.80).
The final day of the championship will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. Preliminaries set for the morning session are the 1650-Freestyle, 200-Backstroke, 100-Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200-Butterfly and the Women’s 3-Meter Diving event.
The final session is slated for Saturday at 5 p.m.
THURSDAY’S FINALS
200-Yard Freestyle Relay
Missouri State led off Thursday evening’s finals with a first-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Jordan Hawkins, Andi Rojas, Erica Norgren and Kyla Meuer were all members of the team that scored 40 points with a time of 1:34.95. Illinois State came in second in the event (1:36.17) followed by Southern Illinois (1:36.24), UNI (1:38.85) and Evansville (1:39.03).
500-Yard Freestyle
Liz Geisler, a four-time Valley Athlete of the Week this season, placed first in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:58.09, followed by Katie Lowry of Southern Illinois in second (5:01.01) and Courtney Phillips of Missouri State (5:04.84).
200-yard Individual Medley
Andi Rojas of Missouri State finished first with a time 2:05.79, followed by Kyla Meuer of Missouri State (2:05.89) while Danielle Quarry of Southern Illinois came in third (2:08.83).
50-Yard Freestyle
Julie Ju, who swam the 50-yard free in 23.66, placed first in the event at Thursday night’s final. She paced all eight competitors while Jordan Hawkins of Missouri State came in second followed by Kyle Pullman of Illinois State.
Women’s 1-meter diving
Christina Curtaneanu and Jessica Leong of Southern Illinois finished first and second in the women’s one-meter dive. Curtaneanu scored 268.40 to pace all divers, followed by Leong with 245.65. Coming in third was Emily Hirt of Illinois State (240.50).
400-Yard Medley Relay
Missouri State finished first, turning in a time of 3:50.84. The team of Allison Zeller, Kyla Meuer, Andi Rojas and Jordan Hawkins paced the Bears while Southern Illinois followed in second (3:53.74) and Illinois State in third (3:53.87).