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 (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.