Courtesy: Missouri State Athletics
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State swimming and diving coach Dave Collins announced the team’s schedule for the 2018-19 schedule on Monday (August 6).
The Bears will compete in nine meets on the road and serve as the host team for three meets including faceoffs against Drury and Lindenwood at Hammons Student Center Pool, in addition to hosting the Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Championship at a neutral site in Columbia.
The season opens at the CSAA Open Water National Championship taking place in Lawrence, Kan. on Sept. 22, where the Bears will commence the men’s 53rd and the women’s 20th season of swimming and diving.
Both teams will remain on the road and take part in the 14th annual Missouri Show-Me-Showdown in Columbia on Oct. 5, before trekking back to Lawrence the following weekend, Oct. 12-13, as the women will compete against Kansas while the men face the University of South Dakota.
“Distance freestyle has been a strength for us,” said Collins. “The open water meet in Lawrence will be three-person teams, and I like our chances in that unique environment. Our women are looking forward to getting back to Kansas in mid-October. That was a big win for us last year.”
The Bears will host their home opener against crosstown rival Drury University on Friday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m., while the following day sees the Bears host the annual Alumni and Intrasquad exhibition beginning at 10 a.m. as part of Missouri State’s Homecoming weekend.
November will begin another road stint for the Bears as they travel to the University of Iowa Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa from Nov. 15-17.
“That meet will give us a good mix of teams to challenge us and give us a gauge of where we are at the midway point in the season,” Collins explained. “That’s a key date for us.”
Both teams will round out the month at conference foe Evansville on Nov. 30.
Missouri State wraps up its road stretch with a meet against rival Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Ill. on Dec. 1.
After breaking for the holidays, the Bears will kick off 2019 at Hammons Student Center against Lindenwood University for senior day on Saturday, Jan. 12.
“It has been a while since we have competed against Lindenwood,” said Collins. “They have really improved over the last few years, and they will challenge us.”
The remainder of the regular season will be spent on the road with meets at Drury and the University of Missouri on Jan. 17 and 19, respectively. The University of Missouri meet will mark the end of the women’s regular season.
The men will compete in an additional meet, the University of Notre Dame Shamrock Invitational, Jan. 25-26 in South Bend, Ind.
Following the regular season, Missouri State will host the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship in Columbia Feb. 20-23.
“We’re thrilled to be hosting the MVC women’s meet for the first time,” Collins said. “It’ one of the best venues in the Midwest, and really gives us a chance to showcase the Valley. Our goal is to always to finish at nationals and have representation at the NCAA meet for the sixth year in a row.”
The men’s team will compete at the 2019 Mid-American Conference Championships in Oxford, Ohio, where Miami (Ohio) will host the event March 4-7.
Collins returns 20 all-conference athletes – 12 women and eight men — from a dual conference championship campaign in 2017-18.
