Missouri Men and Women Take Down In-State Rival Missouri State, McKendree
Missouri took down in-state rival Missouri State, winning 131-65 on the men’s side and 196-18 on the women’s side, respectively. They also faced off against Division II power McKendree, winning 123-85 (men) and 199-13 (women).
The Missouri women kicked off the meet with a bang, with the ‘A’ relay of Katie Kuehn, Sierra Smith, Francesca Smith and Zara Zallen getting a win in 1:29.42.. The team’s ‘B’ and ‘C’ relays also came in 2nd and 3rd, dominating the event. The Missouri men followed with a win of their own, with a team of Grant Bochenski, Luke Nembrich, Ethan Vance and Darden Tate winning in 1:17.56.
Taylor Williams edged out teammate Paige Striley in the 50 fly by 0.17, going 24.33. McKendree then got on the board with their first win of the meet, as Jackson Ludwig won the event in 21.43.
Missouri’s Kylee Sullivan won the 150 fly, an event providing a twist on the traditional dual meet format, in 1:25.55. McKendree’s Archie Minto squeaked by teammate Voya Gavrych to win for the men in 1:17.41.
Piper McNeil and John Watson got two big wins for Missouri’s men and women in the 300 IM, coming in at 3:07.84 and 2:50.58, respectively. Tiger swimmers Maeve DeYoung and Calvin Windle also both won the 50 back in 25.95 and 22.37, putting the team in good position early.
Missouri State got their first win of the meet in the men’s 150 back, with Gonzolo Ruiz Vasquez winning in 1:17.85. Missouri’s Aubey Tate won for the women in 1:25.89.
The Tigers roared in the meet’s distance event, with Zoe Schneider (7:52.02) and Jibran Himsieh (7:18.10) winning the 800 Free.
The 50 breast was a tight event, with both competitors winning by a combined 0.09. Missouri’s Lina Bank won in 27.5 and McKendree’s Luigi Da Silva in 24.69. Missouri then continued their strong performance in the mid-distance stroke events, winning both 150 breaststroke races. Holly Dennis came in at 1:37.5, while Alex Ochsenbein won in 1:24.73.
The Tigers pulled away late in the meet, winning the 100 IM on both sides. Paige Striley won for the women in 55b.24 and Darden Tate for the men in 49.2. Sierra Smith won the women’s 50 (22.40) and Nebrich (20.15) for the men.
Missouri’s Peyton Drexler won the 150 free for the women (1:19.54), while Leo Gandaria-Hernandez picked up McKendree’s third win of the meet (1:10.52).
Missouri finished the meet strong, winning both medley relays. Missouri’s women’s ‘B’ Relay team of Sydney Bales, Bank, Paige Striley and Grace Hanson topped their ‘A’ in 3:37.56. The Tiger men’s ‘A’ won in 3:09.40, with a team of Grant Bochenski, Ochsenbein, Jan Zubik and Nebrich.
