ST. LOUIS – The Missouri State University Bears have been picked to collect their fourth-straight Missouri Valley Conference swimming and diving title at the 2020 event next week.

The Bears, led by eighth year head coach Dave Collins, picked up seven first-place votes for 63 total points. Missouri State swimmers hold top times in six events, including all the freestyle races. Junior Anna Miller leads the 50 free (22.74), 100 free (49.47) and the 100 butterfly (54.22), while fellow junior Liberty Howell holds the top mark in the 200 free (1:48.29), 500 free (4:48. 46) and 1650 free (16:28. 82). Overall the Bears have racked up a total of 19 top-five marks on the league leaderboard.

On the diving board, Ashley Yarbrough leads the team on the 1-meter board with a top mark of 242.40, while Dayana Popa has the team’s high score on the 3-meter board, 242.10. 

Southern Illinois captured the remaining first-place vote to total 51 points. The Salukis are under the guidance of first-year head coach Geoff Hanson, who has helped the team to 12 top-five marks this season. Laura Carver, Lucia Romero and Sierra Forbord have each recorded more than one of those times.

The Salukis are also returning last year’s champion on both diving boards, Beibei Ji, along with her twin and the runner-up in both events last year, Baobao Ji.
Indiana State, led by second-year head coach Josh Christensen, follows closely behind SIU with 48 points in the coaches voting. On the Valley leaderboard, the Sycamores have earned 12 top-five marks, led by senior Alex Malmborg and sophomore Ashleigh Sinks who each have a pair. Overall, the team returns three first-team all-conference honorees and five honorable mention swimmers from the 2019 championship.

Northern Iowa was tabbed fourth in the voting with 45 points. The Panthers recorded a dual meet record of 9-5 this season and are led by third-year head coach Nick Lakin. UNI enters the championship meet with five top marks on The Valley leaderboard, led by Katie Taylor with three – 100 back (54.44), 200 back (1:58.05) and the 200 IM (2:00.70). Moriah Ross also has a pair in the two breaststroke events with marks of 1:03.19 in the 100 and 2:15.78 in the 200.

Illinois State comes in with 33 points in the voting and has a new leader at the helm this season, Caitlin Hamilton. The Redbirds are coming into the championship with eight top-five marks, including a pair of league leading times from senior Kierston Farley-Sepe. Farley-Sepe has the top time in the 200 fly (1:59.59) and the 400 IM (4:15.96), while posting the year’s second best time in the 200 IM. Fellow senior Jensen Keck holds a pair of top-five marks in the 100 and 200 breaststroke.

On the diving board, the Redbirds return the 2019 Diver of the Year, Caroline Lecoeur. This season, Lecoeur has captured four Diver of the Week honors.

Little Rock takes sixth-place in the voting with 20 points. Head coach Amy Burgess is in her 12^th season as the team’s leader and will be bringing a young team to Columbia for the championship event, as nearly half of the team is made up of newcomers. Freshman Fer Moussier highlights the program, coming into the meet with a top-eight mark in two events – 100 fly (56.43) and the 200 fly (2:03.92).

Evansville is seventh in the voting with 18 points. The Purple Aces have first year head coach Stuart Wilson to lead them into the championship, as they enter with nine top-15 performances this season, including three in the top-10 of an event.

Valparaiso rounds out the poll with 10 points. The Crusaders are led by first year head coach Maggie Kroemer. Valpo has posted five top-15 marks this season, including one top-10 time.

Missouri State will host the 2020 Swimming and Diving Championships February 19-22 in Columbia, Mo. at the Mizzou Aquatic Center. Check out The Valley’s Championship Central page to follow along with the championship.