TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State swimming and diving is back in action this weekend as the Sycamores make the trip to West Lafayette, Ind. and the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center for a dual meet against Purdue University. The teams will compete starting at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon as a part of a co-ed dual meet featuring the ISU-Purdue women and the Purdue-Wabash men.
 
It marks the second time the Sycamores swimming team has competed at Purdue this season and third visit for the diving team. Indiana State swim competed at the Indiana Intercollegiates meet on October 16, while the diving squad also took part in the Indiana Intercollegiates and the Purdue Invite (Nov. 18-20).
 
At the Indiana Intercollegiates, the Sycamores boasted six top-three performances overall in the competition as ISU took on the 12-team field. Chloe Farro (50 Free, 100 Free) was among the team's leaders in the event, while Madie Rutan (100 Back), Marni Gray (100 Butterfly), and the Sycamores' 200 Medley Relay and 200 Freestyle relay also finished among the tops in the pool on the day.
 
Keara Shelton, Bailey Betzer, and Sarah Montgomery also turned in top finishes for the Sycamores diving team over the two meets and are expected to reprise their roles among the Indiana State leaders heading into the weekend.
 
The Sycamores will be entering their first action since a dominant showing at the Indiana State Tri-Meet against Bellarmine and Eastern Illinois. Indiana State took the top position in all 14 swimming events and relays, while Bailey Betzer and Sarah Montgomery were tops among the divers in the meet against Bellarmine and Eastern Illinois.
 
Indiana State will look to continue that success this weekend and will look to their strong depth with a multitude of athletes that sit among the Missouri Valley leaders as the calendar turns to the 2022 spring season.
 
Rutan and Carmen Alard Vegas have been among the conference leaders in the backstroke events.
 
Rutan is currently third overall among the MVC leaders in the 100 backstroke events following her 55.08 at the Kansas Classic. The sophomore is also among the conference leaders in the 200 backstroke sitting with the second-best time in the conference following her 1:58.07 at the Kansas Classic. Alard Vegas posted the third-best time in the MVC in the 50 backstroke event with a time of 25.90 in a tri-meet against Bellarmine and Eastern Illinois.
 
Gray is also among the conference leaders as the junior boasts the second-best time in the 100 fly and the fourth-best time in the 200. The Toronto, Canada native turned in a top finish at the Kansas Classic with a 54.98 in the 100 fly event, while her 2:03.74 was her top result in the 200 fly.
 
The Kansas Classic continued to be friendly for the Sycamores as freshman Alexa Szadorski set a new personal-best in the 400 IM. Szadorski's 4:24.88 is the third-best time in the conference in the event and puts her .18 seconds behind Missouri State leader Kelly Sego.
 
The Sycamores will be back in action as they continue to ramp up the spring schedule on January 21-22 at the IUPUI Tri-Meet held in Indianapolis.
 
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