ST. LOUIS – Missouri State collected all eight first-place votes as the program was tabbed as the favorite to take home the Missouri Valley Conference women’s swimming and diving title during the 2021-22 season.

Missouri State, led by 12^th-year head coach Dave Collins, closed out the 2020-21 season in style, winning its fifth-straight MVC Championship with an impressive 929.5-point performance. Overall, the Bears have won 17 of the last 19 MVC titles.

The senior duo of Libby Howell and Anna Miller highlight the returnees as the pair have combined for 43 gold medals at the MVC Championships.  Howell is a perfect 12-for-12 in her career in individual events while collecting 23 golds at the MVC championships. Miller is the reigning MVC swimmer of the year after winning all three of her events in record breaking fashion at last season’s championships. In total, MSU brings back 11 First-Team All-MVC honorees.

It was a close race for second in the poll, as Southern Illinois edged out Indiana State by one point – 51 to 50.

The Salukis are led by third-year head coach Geoff Hansen, and the 2021-22 squad features a large class of newcomers, with 23 fresh faces joining the team. Among the returners, Mima Zaborska and Sierra Forbord stand out. Zaborska garnered three first-place titles at the 2021 MVC Championship while being named to the All-MVC First Team and the 2021 MVC Freshman of the Year. Forbord returns to Southern Illinois for her fifth year, held three second-place titles at the Championship and was named to the All-MVC First Team.

Indiana State will have an experienced squad this year, with 24 returners on the roster. The Sycamores are led by fourth-year head coach Josh Christensen. Headlining the group is 200 Fly champion Marni Gray, who collected just the second individual title for the Sycamores during the 2021 championship. Gray took the 200 Fly title by nearly two seconds and almost completed the fly-sweep after finishing second in the 100 Fly.

Illinois State comes in at fourth in the poll with 42 points as head coach Caitlin Hamilton enters her third season with the team. The Redbirds’ returners include three First-Team All-MVC student-athletes in Emily Keebler, Madyson Morse and Lauren Naeger. They also bring back all four members of the third-place 800 freestyle relay.

The Northern Iowa Panthers were picked fifth entering the season, garnering 33 points in the voting. Nick Lakin leads the team in his fifth-season. The program will feature three returning all-conference members include first-team finishers, Amber Finke and Lily Ernst, and Taylor Hogan, who earned honorable mention recognition.

Little Rock totaled 22 points in the voting and will head into the year under the leadership of 13^th year head coach Amy Burgess. The Trojans placed six members of the team on the podium at the MVC Championships last year, twice as many as in 2020, as well as scored over 100 more points than the year previous. Junior Annya Grom highlights the returnees after earning a pair of top-three finishes last year.

Evansville came in seventh with 16 points, and is led by third-year head coach Stuart Wilson. The Aces will bring back all six of the 2021 All-MVC Honorable Mention honorees, including Maya Cunningham, Maggie Franz, Sarah Jahns, Sage Moore, Jessie Steele and Iryna Tsesiul.

Valparaiso rounds out the poll with 10 points in the voting. Head coach Maggie Kroemer enters her third year with the program this winter.

The first weekly Swimming & Diving release will be posted on October 5. UNI will host the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Championships February 16-19 in Iowa City, Iowa.