Returning for its first meet of the New Year, the Missouri State swimming and diving team will celebrate its 10 seniors during the Bears’ last home meet of the 2016-17 season against Truman State. Senior Day is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14 at Hammons Student Center.
On Senior Day, the men’s team will honor three seniors – Preston Selby, Uldis Tazans and Brandon Weissman – while the women’s team honors seven – Anna Bump, Shawna Elsey, CeCe Etter, Briana Horozewski, Quincy Howell, Lauren Pavel and Alexis Skiniotes.
| Missouri State vs. Truman State // SENIOR DAY | |
| Dates and Times | Saturday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. |
| Locations | Springfield, Mo. |
| Sites | Hammons Student Center |
| Missouri State | Swimming & Diving Home Page |
| Follow | Twitter (@MoStateSwim) |
Series History
Going into Saturday’s meet, the Missouri State men boast a perfect 29-0 record against the Bulldogs while the women’s team edges Truman with an overall record of 12-9. Last season the Bears came out with victories against the Bulldogs in Kirksville, Mo. The women’s team earned a 148-114 victory and the men trounced Truman, 198-64.
The Bears and the Bulldogs met up at the beginning of the season at the Missouri Show-Me Showdown, where Truman’s women placed sixth and the men placed ninth. Missouri State’s women squeaked past the Bulldogs, finishing fifth, while the men’s squad placed second at the meet.
Order of Events
200 Medley Relay
1000 Free
200 Free
50 Free
200 IM
1M Diving
100 Fly
100 Free
100 Back
500 Free
3M Diving
100 Breast
400 Free Relay
Bear Bites
Coming off a month of rest after a competitive fall season, the Bears return to action with four meets remaining in the regular season. On the women’s side, Sydney Zupan, Sarah Allegri, Lauren Pavel and Josie Pearson combine for eight top times in the Missouri Valley conference. Pavel leads the bunch, sitting first place in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke, as well as the 200m individual medley. Zupan leads the conference in the 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly, while Pearson paves the way in the 200m fly and the 400m IM. Allegri, a freshman, leads the conference in the 200m back. The squad also leads the conference in the 200 and 400m medley relay, as well as the 200m free relay. The women have won their last three meets, including a first-place finish out of 12 teams at the House of Champions Invitational in Indianapolis, Ind.
The Missouri State men command several top times in the Mid-American Conference where Michael Mollak, Artur Osvath, Antonio Thomas and Phillip Willett lead the way for the squad. Collectively, the four Bears bring in eight top spots for Missouri State while the team dominates four of the relays. Thomas, a freshman, sits first in the 500, 1000 and 1650m freestyle while Willett dominates the 200 and 400m IM. Osvath leads the conference in the 200m breast and 200m fly, and Mollak commands the 200m free. Like the women, the men have also won their last three meets, also placing first out of 12 teams at the House of Champions Invitational.
Battle With The Bulldogs
In dual action, the Truman men carry an even, 4-4 record. The Bulldogs have earned victories against Lewis, Maryville, Lindenwood-Belleville as well as Western Illinois. The squad’s biggest victory came against Marville, where Truman stifled the Saints 219-22. Standout Sam Heveroh leads the squad in the 50, 100 and 200m free as well as the 100m breast. Heveroh claimed two Truman records this season in the 100 and 200m free. Distance Swimmer JT Thayer was just two seconds shy of besting program’s 500 free record, leading the squad in the event as well as the 1000 and 1650m free.
Carrying a 6-2 dual record, the Truman women have taken down Quincy, Maryville, Lewis, Indianapolis, Lindenwood-Belleville and Western Illinois. The Bulldogs’ only losses came at the hands of Lindenwood and Delta State. In its six dual victories, the team has only allowed one opponent to score over 100 points – Indianapolis – in which Truman won, 127-102.
Final Details
Senior Day at Hammons Student Center is scheduled to begin at approximately 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14. Saturday’s meet features 13 events for both the men and the women and admittance is free of charge. For more information on the Missouri State men’s and women’s swimming and diving team visit www.missouristatebears.com or Twitter (@MoStateSwim).
News courtesy of Missouri State Athletics.
