COLUMBIA, Mo. - Two more school records fell and the Sycamores put on strong performances in finals on Friday to improve their position to fourth heading into the last day of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
 
After day three of the championships, the Sycamores find themselves in fourth with 316.50 and trail Northern Iowa (341.50), Southern Illinois (393.50) and Missouri State (500). They lead Illinois State (311), Little-Rock (182.50), Evansville (179) and Valparaiso (93).
 
Surging Sycamores
Senior Martina Marks led the way for the Trees on Saturday evening in the 200-yard freestyle. The Israel native earned First Team All-MVC honors with a runner-up finish in the event while also rewriting her own school record with a time of 1:49.13. Emily Webb and Vivian Kritikou also managed to score in the 200-yard freestyle, as Webb placed 13th with a new personal-best and fourth-fastest time in school history of 1:54.71, while Kritikou took 16th at 1:56.78.
 
Another school record was dismantled in the 100-yard breaststroke, as Kerry Tepe touched the wall with the best time in Sycamore history of 1:04.35. Her time gave her Honorable Mention All-MVC honors with a sixth place finish in finals. Freshman Anna Maria Nasiou placed 10th during the final round at 1:04.95, while Megan Schade took 11th with a time of 1:05.70.
 
It was a phenomenal night for the women in the 100-yard backstroke, as both Marlene Pavlu Lewin and Kendall Hansen earned First Team All-MVC honors. Pavlu Lewin finished in second place while recording a time of 55.58 and her prelim time of 55.52 was just .07 away from the school record.  Hansen was right behind Pavlu Lewin, as the junior swam to a time of 55.93 to finish third. Her time of 55.70 from the prelim round was a season-best time.
 
The second Honorable Mention All-MVC honoree of the night for the blue and white came from Madison Brand in the 400-yard individual medley. The sophomore posted a time of 4:29.03 for eighth place in her first ever finals appearance, and during prelims her swim of 4:27.78 moved her to second in the ISU record book. Her teammate, Elisabeth Peskin, ended up placing 15th with a time of 4:37.50.
 
A pair of top-10 performances were produced in the 100-yard butterfly in finals, as Megan Schade and Joelle Borchers locked up the ninth and 10th place positions. Schade posted a finals time of 56.15, a new lifetime-best and the second-best time in school history, while Borchers was close behind with a time of 56.21, the third-overall time in Sycamore history. Freshman Ashleigh Sinks touched the wall in 13th during finals, clocking a time of 57.00, but her time of 56.73 from prelims is fourth in school history.
 
In the last event of the evening, the 400-yard medley relay team composed of Hansen, Tepe, Marks and Pavlu Lewin earned the second-fastest time in ISU history of 3:46.57 en route to a fourth place finish.
 
On the diving end of the pool, Keara Shelton represented the Sycamores well, earning a place in finals and ending up in 12th with a final score 214.10.
 
Coach Christensen's Corner
"We had a really good day today and it was awesome to take down a couple more school records and we just raced well both sessions," Head Coach Josh Christensen said. "Tomorrow has the potential to be our strongest day. These ladies are up for the challenge and I'm excited to watch them swim for each other."
 
Coach Chen's Remarks
"The divers did a great job today and I'm very pleased that they put on a strong performance comparing to themselves," Diving Coach Fengting Chen said. "They have improved a lot during the season and I'm very proud of what they did during their freshman year."
 
MVC Day Two Scores:
1. Missouri State - 500
2. Southern Illinois - 393.50
3. Northern Iowa - 341.50
4. Indiana State - 316.50
5. Illinois State - 311
6. Little-Rock - 182.50
7. Evansville - 179
8. Valparaiso - 93
 
Up Next
The blue and white will stay at the Mizzou Aquatic Center for the last day of the MVC Championships, with events beginning on Saturday at noon ET.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Swimming and Diving team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.