Finals Day Three:
Missouri State Captures MVC Crown After Dominant Day Three
Carbondale, Ill. – Missouri State left day three of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championships in much the same way it entered: on top. The Bears captured the MVC crown due in large part to a top-five sweep in the 1650 freestyle.
Southern Illinois tallied multiple wins on the day, but MSU’s depth proved to be the difference. Julie Ju, Kelly Dvorak and Therese Mattsson placed first for the Salukis in the 200 breaststroke, the 200 backstroke and the 100 freestyle, respectively.
The Bears posted a score of 942 to the Salukis’ 774.5. Illinois State posted a score of 715.5 while Northern Iowa finished fourth with 346 points. Evansville finished fifth with a score of 335.
For full results from each event, visit the Southern Illinois athletics website at www.siusalukis.com.
Finals Day Two:
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois entered day two with a 16.5-point lead but left Friday night of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championships 71.5 points behind Missouri State. Nearly every day two race culminated in a new MVC Championship record.
Missouri State cut SIU’s first-day lead to 10.5 points in day two’s opening event; the 200 medley relay. The Bears swam to a time of 1:45.76. SIU finished second with a time of 1:46.19.
Illinois State’s Tracy Deyell dominated the 400 individual medley, turning in an MVC record time of 4:27.18. She broke Melanie Davis’s (SIU) record of 4:27.26, set in 1994. Missouri State’s Jessica Bennett and Hilary Morrow finished second and third, respectively, and powered the Bears to an eight-point overall lead after seven events.
The Bears extended their lead in the 100 butterfly with Chelsea Dirks-Ham and Andi Rojas-Jimenz capturing the top two spots. Dirks-Ham set an MVC record with a time of 56.34.
Five Saluki swimmers placed in the top eight in the 200 freestyle. Led by Therese Mattsson’s MVC Record time of 1:50.86, the SIU five propelled Southern Illinois to a slim lead in the overall standings.
Julie Ju broke her own MVC Record in the 100 breaststroke by more than a second, handing SIU a 10-point cushion in the overall lead. Frannie Moody of MSU finished second, while SIU’s Marcela Teixeira placed third.
Missouri State recaptured the lead with four swimmers in the top six in the 100 backstroke, including winner Jordan Hawkins. Hawkins clocked a time of 57.06, narrowly beating SIU’s Kelly Dvorak, who finished at 57.11.
Katie Janonis of Illinois State won the one-meter dive competition with a score of 241.75. SIU’s Emily Gable placed second with a score of 234.35.
The Salukis handily took the night’s final event, the 800 freestyle relay and set the stage for what will be a tightly contested competition on Saturday.
For full results from the 2008 State Farm MVC Swimming and Diving Championships, visit the SIU Championship Central at www.siusalukis.com
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SOUTHERN ILLINOIS LEADS STATE FARM MVC SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER DAY ONE
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois earned a 16.5-point lead after day one of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championships. The Salukis lead Missouri State 222.5 to 206 after day one.
Host Southern Illinois opened the finals with a bang, swimming to an MVC Championship record time of 1.34:50 in the 200 freestyle relay. The Salukis broke Missouri State’s three-year-old record of 1:34.87. The Bears placed second in the opening event with a time of 1:35.80.
Julie Ju of SIU won the 500 freestyle handily, clocking a season-best time of 4:58.33 and falling just three-tenths of a second short of the meet record. MSU’s Hilary Morrow and Katharina Voelkel touched the wall second and third, respectively, handing the Bears 33 points in the process. MSU led SIU 86-71 after two events.
Andi Rojas-Jimenz of Missouri State won the 200 individual medley with a season-best time of 2:05.45. MSU placed four in the top eight to extend its meet score to 145 after three events. Tracy Deyell of Illinois State placed second with a time of 2:05.57.
MSU’s Jordon Hawkins took home the 50 free title with a time of 23.30, breaking her own season-best mark of 23.48. Three Salukis; Therese Mattson, Isabel Madeira and Tovah Gasparovich; followed Hawkins in the finish. The SIU-dominated event gave the hosts a slim outright meet lead at 182.5 to 172.
Southern Illinois captured its second MVC Championship record with a time of 3:48.77 in the 400 medley relay. The win put the Salukis up 222.5 to 206 over Missouri State after day one.
The MVC Championships will resume tomorrow with preliminary races of the 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke and 3-Meter Diving at 11 a.m. at the SIU Student Recreation Center
For full results from the 2008 State Farm MVC Swimming and Diving Championships, visit the SIU Championship Central at www.siusalukis.com
Thursday Prelim Wrap Up
The 2008 State Farm/Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championships kicked off this morning with preliminaries in three events.
In the first event of the day, the 500-yard freestyle, Julie Ju of Southern Illinois took first place with a time of 5:01.35. Matana Wellman (5:03.23) and Katharina Voelkel (5:05.99) both of Missouri State, rounded out the top three in the event.
In the 200-yard individual medley Tracy Deyell of Illinois State took first with a time of 2:06.53. Moving on to the A finals for SIU was Danielle Quarry with a time of 2:10.36 for a fifth-place finish.
Missouri State's Jordan Hawkins took first-place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.48 seconds. For SIU, Therese Mattsson (2nd, 24.10) and Isabel Madeira (3rd, 24.15). qualified for finals.
Finals for the three events as well as the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard medley relay will begin tonight at 6 p.m. at the SIU Student Recreation Center.
For the latest on the MVC Swimming and Diving Championships, visit the SIU Championship Central linked below.
Southern Illinois, Missouri State Lead Pre-Championship Poll
ST. LOUIS -- Southern Illinois and Missouri State have been tabbed as the teams to beat at the 2008 State Farm MVC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship. The Salukis earned three first-place votes to MSU’s two and barely edged the Bears from the top spot. With defending Diver of the Week Emily Gable and two-time defending Swimmer of the Week Julie Ju, the rest of the field will have its hands full with SIU.
Picked to challenge SIU and MSU for top honors is Illinois State. With five-time Diver of the Week Katie Janonis and three different athletes that have claimed Swimmer of the Week honors this season, the Redbirds are certainly up to the task.
Northern Iowa, picked fourth, is led by swimmers Abby Girard and Josie Itzen. Both names pepper the MVC Best List and both will be athletes to watch at the championship.
In fifth, Evansville is looking up at everyone else, but boasts a roster full of talented athletes, including Christina Schmidgall and diver Jennifer Childers.
MVC Pre-Championship Poll
1. Southern Illinois (3)
2. Missouri State (2)
3. Illinois State
4. Northern Iowa
5. Evansville
First place votes in parentheses
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Order of Events
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Thursday 2/14 |
Friday 2/15 |
Saturday 2/16 |
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Prelims 11:00 a.m. |
Prelims 11:00 a.m. |
Prelims 10:00 a.m. |
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200y Freestyle Relay** |
200y Medley Relay** |
1650y Freestyle* |
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500y Freestyle |
400y I.M. |
200y Backstroke |
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200y I.M. |
100y Butterfly |
100y Freestyle |
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50y Freestyle |
200y Freestyle |
200y Breaststroke |
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400y Medley Relay** |
100y Breaststroke |
200y Butterfly |
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1 Meter Diving |
3 Meter Diving |
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800y Freestyle Relay** |
400y Freestyle Relay** |
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Finals 6:00 p.m. |
Finals 6:00 p.m. |
Finals 4:00 p.m. |
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200y Freestyle Relay |
200y Medley Relay |
1650y Freestyle* |
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--10 Minute Break-- |
--10 Minute Break-- |
200y Backstroke |
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500y Freestyle |
400y I.M. |
100y Freestyle |
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200y I.M. |
100y Butterfly |
200y Breaststroke |
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50y Freestyle |
200y Freestyle |
200y Butterfly |
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--20 Minute Break-- |
100y Breaststroke |
3 Meter Diving |
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400y Medley Relay |
100y Backstroke |
400y Freestyle Relay |
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1 Meter Diving |
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800y Freestyle Relay |
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Diving Competition Schedule |
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Thursday 2/14 |
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Open Dive All Day |
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Friday 2/15 |
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9:00 a.m. - 12:15 a.m. Warm-up |
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12:30 p.m. 1 m Prelims (6 dives) |
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5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Warm-up |
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7:05 p.m. 1 m Finals |
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Saturday 2/16 |
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9:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Warm-up |
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11:30 a.m. 3 m Prelims (6 dives) |
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7:15 p.m. 3 m Finals (6 dives) |
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