TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State makes the trek to Iowa City, Iowa this week as the Sycamores prepare to take on the field at the 2023 Missouri Valley Swimming & Diving Championships held at the University of Iowa pool this weekend.
 
The Sycamores are one of 10 MVC teams vying for the conference championships and ISU rides the momentum into the postseason coming off four dual meet wins and a strong showing at the Tim Welsh Classic.
 
ISU was picked second overall in the preseason poll by the conference's head coaches and the Sycamores look to live up to the billing boasting one of the deepest rosters in the field under the helm of head coach Josh Christensen.
 
"We're excited to go compete in Iowa this week," Christensen said. "The team has done a great job all season and these last few weeks have been no exception. We're prepared and confident. We know this will be the deepest MVC meet ever. We're prepared to go swim and dive for each other and fight for every point."
 
The 2023 MVC Championships will feature a new scoring system that will favor the teams with deeper rosters. In previous years, the top 16 athletes in each event would score and add to the team totals. This season, the top 24 athletes will place and have their score added to the overall team standings.
 
Across the team standings, ISU boasts multiple athletes that sit among the scorers in every event as the Sycamores look to snap a stretch of finishing third in each of the last four seasons.
 
Two ISU athletes sit among the conference standings in their respective events heading into the conference championships. Marni Gray continues to add to her legacy at Indiana State as the senior is the conference leader in both the 100 and the 200 Butterfly events. Zoe Smith is the lone MVC diver to break 300 points in the 3M diving event and is a four-time MVC Diver of the Week as recognized by the conference office this season.
 
The Sycamores have also set eight new school records in the 2022-23 season coming in the 500 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke, 50 Fly, 100 Fly, 400 Freestyle Relay, 200 Medley Relay, and both the 1M and 3M diving events. Two records came in ISU's last meet at the Tim Welsh Classic as Gray (54.16, 100 Fly) and the ISU 400 Freestyle Relay team (Chloe Farro, Peyton Heagy, Kaimi Matsumoto, Alexa Szadorski - 3:23.04) set new marks in the ISU record book.
 
Additional records came earlier starting at the season-opener against Missouri State and Miami (Ohio) as Carmen Alard Vegas, Matsumoto, Gray, and Farro set a new mark in the 200 Medley Relay touching the wall in 1:41.98. Two more marks came at the Kansas Classic as Andrea Putrimas (4:54.48 - 500 Free) and Madie Rutan (55.00 - 100 Back) broke the previous standards. Gray (25.16 - 50 Fly) tied and Smith (290.55 – 1M) set a new mark in their respective events in the December meet against Indianapolis, while Smith shattered the ISU mark in the 3M diving event against Illinois State.
 
In years past, the top three athletes that finish in their events earn All-Conference recognition from the MVC. Heading into the conference championships in addition to Gray and Smith, seven other Sycamores are currently on the potential All-Conference list this season after sitting in the top-five in the MVC performance list this season.
 
Putrimas currently leads the Sycamores in three separate events as the senior is in the top-five in the Valley this season in the 200 Free (fourth), 500 Free (second), and the 1650 Free (fifth). 2022 All-Conference recipient Madie Rutan is also back in the mix in the backstroke sitting third in the 100 and fourth in the 200, while Dorotea Bukvic is also a hopeful in two events competing in the 200 Breaststroke (fifth) and 400 IM (third). Other Sycamores sitting in the top-five in the conference include Esther Rydbeck Norden (1650 Free – 3rd), Katie Dougherty (200 Fly – 4th), and Alexandria Cotter (400 IM – 5th).
 
All five Indiana State relay teams also currently sit in the top-three in the conference standings including the 200 Free Relay (3rd), 400 Free Relay (2nd), 800 Free Relay (2nd), 200 Medley Relay (3rd), and 400 Medley Relay (3rd).
 
Live results will be available via Meet Mobile, while live video will be available via UNI's YouTube page.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Swimming and Diving, visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.