ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State women's swimming and diving swept the Missouri Valley's weekly awards as announced by the conference office on Wednesday morning. Claire Parsons (Swimmer), Daniela Orta Castaneda (Diver), and Gemma Dilks (Freshman) were honored following their performances at the Miami Invitational this past weekend.
 
Claire Parsons earned NCAA B Cut status for the first time in her collegiate career and led the Sycamores to arguably one of the best weekends in program history at the Miami Invitational. Parsons was responsible for three of the records set establishing new marks in the 500-yard, 1000-yard, and 1650-yard Freestyle events, while also qualifying for the A-Finals in both the 200-yard Freestyle and 200-yard Backstroke. She was also on the event-winning 800-yard Freestyle Relay team that topped the field by nearly nine full seconds.
 
The sophomore shined in her signature event, the 1650-yard Freestyle, where she broke the school's record in both the 1000-yard Free with her split of 9:57.49, while her time in the 1650 of 16:31.28 won the event by 16 seconds and was inside the NCAA B Cut.
 
Daniela Orta Castaneda was Indiana State's leader on both the 1M and 3M Springboard events over the weekend as the senior advanced to the consolation brackets in both events. Orta Castaneda was 13^th overall in the prelims of the 3M posting a six-dive score of 208.20, before rallying back to take second overall in the consolation bracket with a score of 222.90.
 
She followed up finishing 14^th overall in the prelims of the 1M with a six-dive score of 198.70. She finished the weekend eighth in the consolation with a score of 185.00.
 
Gemma Dilks was one of the highest scorers for the Indiana State women's swimming and diving team and established a new program record in the 200-yard Fly in the process to highlight her weekend at the Miami Invitational. Dilks was the fifth-highest individual point scorer in the meet posting 59 total points overall posting top three finishes in the 200-yard IM, 400-yard IM, and 800 Freestyle Relay, while also finishing in the A-Finals in both the 200-yard Fly and 1650-yard Freestyle.
 
The Tiverton, Devon, England native opened the week finishing third overall in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:02.60. She followed up finishing second overall behind teammate Alexandria Cotter for the 400-yard IM title with a time of 4:20.01. She led off the team's B-Team 800-yard Freestyle Relay team posting a time of 1:51.54 in leading the team to a third-place result. She added a season-best time in the 1650-yard Free in 17:09.05, before wrapping up the weekend setting a new mark in the 200-yard Fly in 2:00.21. Her time broke one of the program's oldest marks set back in 2018 at the MVC Championships.
 
Parsons becomes the third different Sycamore to claim MVC Swimmer of the Week honors, while Dilks picks up her second Freshman of the Week nod and Indiana State's fourth overall. Orta Castaneda records the Sycamores' first Diver of the Week recognition for the 2024-25 season.
 
Indiana State Swimming and Diving Weekly Honors
Swimmer of the Week
Chloe Farro (Oct. 9, 2024)
Kaleigh Kelley (Oct. 23, 2024)
Chloe Farro (Nov. 20, 2024)
Claire Parsons (Dec. 11, 2024)
 
Diver of the Week
Daniela Orta Castaneda (Dec. 11, 2024)
 
Freshman of the Week
Maria Saldana Riebeling (Oct. 9, 2024)
Gemma Dilks (Oct. 23, 2024)
Sahara Visscher (Oct. 30, 2024)
Gemma Dilks (Dec. 11, 2024)
 
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