Miami University (Ohio) Men and Indiana State Women Claim Missouri Valley Conference Team Titles
The 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championships wrapped up for both men and women over the last two weeks. Miami University (Ohio) took the men’s championship while Indiana State won the women’s team title.
Men’s Meet Recap
The Southern Illinois University men opened the meet in style with a 1:24.72 win. Alex Chimera (21.90), Tiago Faleiros (23.63), Alex Santiago (19.86), and Donat Csuvarszki (19.33) took gold in a tight win over Miami University (Ohio).
Missouri State University won the 800 freestyle relay as George Holesinger (1:37.25), Jack Grandy (1:35.11), Reese Hodgins (1:35.55), Brunno Suzuki (1:36.70) combined to a 6:24.61.
Thursday
Reese Hodgins secured the top spot on the podium in the 500 free with a 4:25.06. Miami University Ohio took the top two spots on the podium in the 200 individual medley as Henju Duvenhage (1:43.79) and Allen Cotton (1:44.44) went 1-2.
SIU’s Santiago won the 50 freestyle at a 19.18. Csuvarski took second at a 19.83. UIC’s Harrison Nolan secured the top spot on the podium in the 1-meter diving with 343.70 points.
Southern Illinois won the 400 medley relay by three seconds with Willem Huggins (47.34), Faleiros (52.59), Santigo (45.26), and A.J. Terry (42.60) combining to a 3:07.79.
Friday
Santiago won the 100 butterfly for SIU at a 45.30. Duvenhage of MIOH took silver, the only other swimmer under 46.00 with a 45.94. His teammate Cotton won the 400 individual medley with a 3:47.06.
Bryce Menchhofer won the 200 freestyle in a 1:36.53. Reese Hodgins out-split Menchhofer by almost a second on the final 50 but came up just short in a 1:36.70. The men’s 100 breaststroke was a tight race as the top four got under 54.00. Faleiros of SIU took the win at a 53.34, five hundredths ahead of Luigi Da Silva (53.39).
Duvenhage won the 100 backstroke in a 46.31, a half second ahead of SIU’s Huggins (46.81). UIC’s Nolan swept the dive events with a win on the 3-meter board (381.95).
In a topsy-turvy race, the University of Evansville and Southern Illinois University were disqualified in the 200 freestyle relay. Miami University (Ohio) took the win as Tegan Barrier (20.03), Duvenhage (19.67), Scott Spear (19.38), & Jack Herczeg swam to a 1:18.59.
Saturday
Tommy Faye won the 1650, going 15:30.53. Jensen Nelson won the 200 backstroke for MIOH at a 1:43.34. Gonzolo Ruiz Vazquez clocked a 1:44.88 for silver.
Santiago took another event for SIU in the 100 freestyle in a strong 41.95. Santiago’s time is just six tenths off of the NCAA A-Cut. SIU took 1-2-3 as Terry (43.20) and Csuvarszki (43.53) took second and third.
James McCarthy (1:57.12) took the men’s 200 breaststroke by four tenths over Henrique Pacheco Januario (1:57.54). MIOH took 1-2-4-8 in a strong 200 butterfly showing. Owen Hoban (1:44.67) led the field along with teammate Cotton (1:44.89) as the duo finished over two seconds ahead of the field.
Southern Illinois took the final event of the program with a win in the 400 freestyle relay. Terry (44.00), Csuvarszki (43.18), Benedek Andor (43.27), & Santiago (41.86) added up to a 2:52.31 and a three second win over Miami University (Ohio).
Men’s Meet Final Score
- Miami University (Ohio)- 820
- Southern Illinois University- 691.5
- Missouri State University- 602.5
- University of Illinois, Chicago- 553.5
- Ball State University- 387.5
- Valparaiso University- 139
- University of Evansville- 127
Women’s Meet Recap
Southern Illinois University took the first event on the program in the 200 medley relay. Celia Pulido (23.69), Olivia Herron (27.04), Maria Padron Salazar (23.38), and Susana Gabriela Hernandez Barradas (22.73) combined for a 1:36.84 win over Indiana State.
SIU picked up another win to sweep the night in the 800 freestyle relay with a 7:12.16. Swimming a different order, the same four women doubled up as Barradas (1:49.59), Salazar (1:48.44), Herron (1:48.18), and Pulido (1:45.95) secured a win once again over Indiana State.
Thursday
ISU’s Jecza Lopez picked up 1-meter diving gold with 305.35 points.
University of Illinois, Chicago’s Molly Kroeger (4:47.20) won a tight race in the 500 freestyle against teammate Madison Helmick (4:47.62). Herron then secured a third event win handily for SIU in the 200 individual medley at a 1:57.85. Liseska Gallegos Gutierrez made it a Salukis 1-2 with a 2:01.11. Faith Larson won the 50 freestyle at a 22.42. ISU’s Chloe Farro took second at 22.84, as four women broke 23.00.
Southern Illinois made it three for three in relay wins in the 400 medley relay. Pulido (51.46), Herron (59.93), Salazar (52.97), and Zaria Terry (50.20) combined to a 3:34.56 and a four second win over Indiana State.
Friday
SIU’s Pulido continued a strong meet with a win in the 100 butterfly (52.25). ISU’s Mia Snow took second (52.81) while Salazar rounded out the top three with a 53.11. Alexandria Cotter took the women’s 400 individual medley with a 4:17.87.
ISU took gold again an event later from Claire Parsons in the 200 freestyle. With a 1:47.83, Parsons led seven of the eight finalists under 1:50. Heron (1:00.24) led a 1-2 punch with Ali Robertson (1:00.73) in the 100 breaststroke for SIU. Pulido kept the winning streak going in the 100 backstroke, taking the win in a 51.70, far under the B-Cut and likely securing qualification for NCAAs. Teammate Gutierrez took second at a 53.70.
University of Northern Iowa picked up their first relay win in the 200 freestyle relay. Faith Larson (22.34), Abby Lear (22.82), Waren Graeve (22.79), and Morgan Meyer (22.79) swam to a 1:30.74. Leading a tight finish, Indiana State (1:30.81) and Little Rock (1:30.83) came in hundredths behind. ISU’s Lopez took the 3-meter diving gold with 309.70 points.
Saturday
Parsons won the 1650 freestyle at 16:39.68, leading a 1-2 finish with teammate Maria Saldana Riebeling (16:47.69).
Pulido took a third event win in the 200 backstroke with a 1:54.78. It was a 1-2-3 sweep for SIU as Gutierrez (1:56.40) and Brooklyn Anderson (1:58.53) took the rest of the podium. Larson, the winner of the 50 freestyle, won the 100 at a 49.28. Herron continued the winning results for SIU in the 200 breaststroke with a 2:10.11 victory. UIC’s Samantha Wilson took the 200 butterfly in a 1:59.24, the only swimmer under 2:00.
Indiana State won the final event on the program with a 3:18.99 in the 400 freestyle relay. Farro (49.76), Kaleigh Kelley (49.68), Sahara Visscher (49.67), and Alexa Szadorski (49.88) took the win by a half second over SIU.
Women’s Meet Final Score
- Indiana State University- 1440.5
- Southern Illinois University- 1331
- Missouri State University- 1034
- University of Northern Iowa- 929.5
- University of Illinois, Chicago- 875.5
- Little Rock- 791
- Illinois State University- 738
- University of Evansville- 253
- Valparaiso University- 226.5
