ST. LOUIS - Missouri State has been selected by league coach as the favorite in the preseason poll. The Bears received 64 total points as they were unanimously voted first.

Last season, the Bears claimed the 2017 MVC Swimming and Diving Championships, earning their 13^th title.  Missouri State returns seven individuals who received All-Conference honors in 2017. During the championship, Sarah Allegri, Sydney Zupan, and Loretta Stelnicki swam for MVC records in the 200-yard and 400-yard medley relays. Zupan added another MVC record in the 100-yard backstroke. On the diving side, the Bears will look to the 2017 Freshman Diver of the Year, Payton Smith.

Southern Illinois came in second with 55 points in this year’s pre-season poll. The Salukis welcome back five individuals who were on the 2017 All-Conference honors list. Among those, is senior Bryn Handley, who took first-place in three individual events and swam in a winning relay.

The University of Northern Iowa filed in at third with 48 points. Nick Lakin enters his first year at the UNI helm. Lakin will look to his four All-Conference honorees who placed in the top three in 10 events and set four MVC Records during the 2017 Championships. Katie Taylor, the 2017 Freshman Swimmer of the Year, set the two individual MVC records in the 400-yard IM and 200-yard backstroke and swam a leg of one of the record-setting relays.

Securing fourth with 39 points is Illinois State. Illinois State returns one swimmer, Jensen Keck who received All-Conference honors. Keck finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke at the MVC championship. The Redbirds will also look to their five individuals who received honorable mention for their performance at the championship.

Evansville notched the No. 5 spot, tallying 27 points, in the preseason poll. The Purple Aces took fifth in the 2017 Championship and placed in both diving events. Returning senior, Courtney Coverdale, placed first in the 1-Meter Dive and second in the 3-Meter Diver. Coverdale was named Diver of the Year in 2017.

Little Rock came in a close sixth with 26 points. The Trojans return Tori Fryar who medaled in the 1650-yard freestyle, earning a spot on the All-Conference list. Emma Doll and Laura Ruiz Astorga set school records for the Trojans last season. The pair received all-conference honorable mention in 2017.

Indiana State received 16 points, placing seventh in the preseason poll. Indiana State made their program debut last season. The Sycamores are expanding their team for the 2017-18 season with the addition of a diving program.

Valparaiso, the newest member of the Missouri Valley Conference, rounded out the poll in eighth with 13 points. The Crusaders will look to their sophomores, who posted times among the best in program history during the 2016-17 season, to lead the team.

The first weekly Swimming & Diving release will be posted on October 3rd and include a Swimmer and Diver for the month of September. Northern Iowa will host the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Championships February 14-17 in Iowa City, Iowa.