Top 5 Adrenalizing Events At MVC Swimming and Diving Championships

Photo Courtesy: Northern Iowa Athletics

By Andy Ross, Swimming World College Intern

The Missouri Valley Conference Swimming & Diving Championships are this weekend in Carbondale, IL. The psych sheet can be found here. Missouri State will be looking to win its eighth straight this weekend. But before we talk team business, here are five races during the MVC Swimming and Diving Championships you will not want to miss:

50 Free

Five of the top eight swimmers are returning to the meet this season, including the top three and the co-champions. Kate Gately of Missouri State and Marissa Yontz of Illinois State are both seniors and tied for first last season in this event at 23.17. This time around, Yontz leads the way with a 23.15, followed by last year’s third place finisher in Danielle Freeman (Evansville) at 23.31, and Gately at 23.32. The race will likely to play out between those three, but anything can happen in the 50.

100 Fly

Seven of the eight finalists from last year are back including the top 4. The big question mark right now is the Missouri State junior Rebecca Amparano, who is seeded fourth in the 100 fly and first in the 400 IM, so it is unclear what she is swimming as of right now. Last year’s top three, Lexi Nash (Illinois State), Kristin Verkler (Illinois State), and Emily Chesser (Missouri State) are all sprinkled throughout the psych sheet in this event. The top seed though, is senior Sam Montgomery (Evansville) at 56.28, followed by Nash at 56.34, and Ibby Simcox (Missouri State) at 56.56. The top seven in this event are separated by less than a second and it will be fun to see how it plays out.

200 Free

Perhaps the most star-studded field of the championships in the pool is the 200 free. Six of last year’s top eight are back. Defending champion Pamela Benitez of Southern Illinois has graduated leaving the door wide open for 2015. The top seed is 2012 and 2013 champion Michelle Tipton of Evansville, followed by freshman sensation Kelsie Walker (Southern Illinois), last year’s runner-up Marissa Yontz (Illinois State), and Dora Kiss (Missouri State). Tipton was co-swimmer of the year in 2013 along with Kiss. Kiss is electing to not swim the 400 IM this year favoring the 200 free. The fifth seed is another freshman for Southern Illinois in Bryn Handley. The race will be likely played out between those five, but the field is still wide open.

3m Diving

Two of the best athletes competing this weekend are not even swimmers. Junior Sherry Zhang (Southern Illinois) and senior Wendy Zhang (Illinois State) are two divers from China who were All-Americans last season after finishing top eight at NCAAs in the 3-meter diving event. Sherry was third and Wendy was sixth. The two Zhangs (no relation) will be vying for a championship in the Missouri Valley before they head on to the national stage at Zones and NCAAs. Sherry got the upper hand last season on both boards in her home pool, but don’t think it will be an easy road for her this time around. Southern Illinois teammate Esther Chen is an outside shot for the top two but the three Chinese divers in this conference are head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the competition and it will be fun to see these elite divers competing.

400 Medley Relay

Six-time defending champions in this event Missouri State will have their hands full if they want to make it seven years straight this season. For the first time ever, the 400 medley relay will be swum on Friday night instead of the usual Thursday night, due to the 200 medley and 800 free relays being moved to Wednesday. Illinois State is currently seeded first in the relay followed by Missouri State and Evansville. With Sarah James (Southern Illinois) seeded first in the 100 back, Courtney Taylor (Illinois State) first in the 100 breast, Sam Montgomery (Evansville) first in the 100 fly, and Marissa Yontz (Illinois State) first in the 100 free, expect the lead to change hands multiple times in this event, and come down to the wire.

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Gulraiz Champ

9 years ago

good picture