Missouri State, swimming and diving conference champs (photo/MSU Athletics)

Missouri State, swimming and diving conference champs (photo/MSU Athletics)

The Missouri State women’s swimming and diving team secured its eighth-consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Championship this past weekend on the campus of Southern Illinois.  The conference title was MSU’s 12th in the past 13 seasons, while its eight-straight seasons with a conference championship puts the Bears in a tie for the second-longest active streak in NCAA Division I women’s swimming and diving with the University of Virginia.

“I think it speaks to a lot to our tradition, a winning culture, hardworking and just a great group of kids,” head coach Dave Collins told MissouriStateBears.com. “We graduate good kids every year, but I think the new kids come in and feed off the culture and tradition.”

Lauren Pavel was named MVC Swimmer of the Year for the first time in her career

Lauren Pavel was named MVC Swimmer of the Year for the first time in her career (photo/MSU Athletics)

Among the many highlights for the team, Dora Kiss set a school, pool and MVC-record time in the 200 fly A-finals by finishing in a time of 1:59.13. Her second title at this year’s 2015 conference championship was Kiss’s third in a row and also made the NCAA ‘B’ consideration-time cut.

MSU sophomore Lauren Pavel was named the Missouri Valley Conference Swimmer of the Year following the championship. Nine Bears – which included Sydney Zupan, Emma Wall, Ibby Simcox, Lauren Pavel, Dora Kiss,Megan Holthoff, Kate Gately, Anna Bump and Rebecca Amparano – were honored as first-team all-conference selections. Six more MSU swimmers – Quincy Howell, Heather Snyder, Alyssa Powers, Briana Horozewski,Emily Chesser and Hanna Flanagan – picked up all-conference honorable mention accolades.