FT. MYERS, Fla. – Indiana State closed out 2024 with a win as the Sycamores topped the field at the Eagles Holiday Splash on Thursday at the FGCU Aquatics Complex hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University.
 
The Sycamores claimed seven event wins highlighted by a trio of Ali Pearson wins in the Breaststroke on their way to totaling 304.5 points on the day. Tulane was second in the field with 213.5, while host FGCU took third with 187. UNC Asheville rounded out the group in competition with 146 total points.
 
Pearson led the Sycamores with wins in the 75, 50, and 25-yard Breaststroke events as Indiana State topped the field in an event schedule that featured multiple individual events in all four swim strokes. Claire Parsons topped the field in the 500-yard Free, Chloe Farro the 50-yard Free, Kaleigh Kelley the 75-yard Fly, and Dorotea Bukvic the 200-yard Breast to wrap up Indiana State's event wins on the day.
 
"A mid-training trip meet can always be a wild card," head coach Josh Christensen said. "So, I was really pleased with how we showed up and raced today. We ended up having some really strong performances and just a solid day of racing overall, even if the format was a bit unusual."
 
Indiana State opened the day in the 200-yard Medley Relay with the top team of Sahara Visscher, Pearson, Kelley, and Farro pacing the Sycamores in third place in 1:44.53. The second group of Alexandria Cotter, Szadorski, Raine Boles, and Kalli Agapios was fourth in 1:48.20, while Ella Moustgaard, Bukvic, Sophia Diaz, and Allie Barasch was seventh in 1:49.67. The final group of Olivia Diruzza, Gemma Dilks, Raz Harel, and Ash Saple finished 10th in 1:52.03.
 
Parsons put the Sycamores on top of the podium for the first time in the 500-yard Freestyle as the sophomore was the lone swimmer to go sub-5:00 touching the wall in 4:56.93 to claim the event win. Erin Cummins was third overall in 5:02.70, while Maria Saldana Riebeling was fourth in 5:07.89. Haley Halsall (5:11.22) and Trista Bullock (5:15.10) were also inside the Top 10 in the event, while Rose Parsons was 13th in 5:20.14.
 
Cotter was the first to the wall for the Sycamores in the 200-yard IM as the senior finished third overall in the field in 2:07.71. Bukvic finished three spots back in sixth in 2:08.12, while Dilks placed eighth in 2:10.10. Moustgaard took 11th overall to round out the Sycamores in the field in 2:11.47.
 
The teams battled in the 75-yard Backstroke next with Indiana State's Visscher finishing second overall in 42.65, while Agapios (43.40) and Kate Reeves (43.62) both finishing inside the Top Five. Diruzza was sixth in 44.55, while Harel placed 15th in 48.27.
 
Pearson (46.47) and Szadorski (47.29) were the first two to the wall in the 75-yard Breaststroke as the duo paced the field in the event.
 
Kelley followed up with the individual win in the 75-yard Fly as the sophomore was first to the wall in 40.06. Boles finished third overall in 40.65, while Diaz (41.76) was ninth. Barasch rounded out the group 12th overall in 42.44.
 
Farro was second overall in the field in the 75-yard Free as the senior touched the wall in 37.34. Cummins was fifth in 38.56, while Saldana Riebeling (39.00) and Heagy (39.16) finished inside the Top 10. Bullock (39.50), Saple (40.09), and Rose Parsons (41.42) were also among the event leaders.
 
Lucia McDougall was Indiana State's top finisher in the 3M Springboard finishing with a six-dive score of 207.05 to place seventh overall. Daniela Orta Castaneda was 10th overall in 193.05, while Ella Taylor finished 15th in 177.10. Brenna Woodruff placed 18th in 158.50 with Angelina Damiano wrapping up the event 20th in 145.65.
 
The Sycamores continued the event with the 200-yard Backstroke with Claire Parsons finishing third overall in 2:06.18 and Bukvic finishing fifth in 2:08.83. Diruzza was seventh in 2:09.79.
 
Farro (23.83) and Kelley (23.90) were first and third overall in the 50-yard Freestyle event as the Sycamore duo both went sub-24.0 to lead five Indiana State athletes inside the Top 10. Visscher (24.29) was sixth, Agapios (24.66) eighth, and Barasch 10th (24.89) to highlight the event, while Saple (25.61), Halsall (26.05), and Rose Parsons (26.54) were inside the Top 20.
 
Pearson and Szadorski reprised their roles atop the field in the 50-yard Breaststroke with Pearson claiming the win in 29.83, while Szadorski was second in 29.94. Heagy placed ninth in the field in 31.83.
 
The 50-yard Fly featured three Sycamores inside the Top Six in the field led by Boles finishing third overall in the field in 26.01. Cummins was fourth in 26.04 with Cotter placing sixth in 26.47. Farro was 11th in the field in 26.82, while Diaz (26.96) and Harel (28.23) rounded out the group in competition.
 
Visscher, Moustgaard, and Bullock finished third, fourth, and fifth overall in the 50-yard Backstroke, while Reeves placed seventh overall as the four Sycamores in the event finished inside the scoring. Visscher touched the wall in 27.05 to lead the group, while Moustgaard touched in 28.19. Bullock (28.23) and Reeves (28.31) rounded out the Sycamores in the field.
 
Orta Castaneda posted the Top 10 finish in the 1M Diving event with the senior recording a six-dive score of 182.55. McDougall was right behind her teammate in 11th with 180.90, while Taylor (175.75) and Woodruff (166.75) both posted Top 15 results. Damiano was 17th overall with 153.30.
 
The 200-yard Fly featured four Indiana State athletes inside the Top Six led by Dilks' second-place result in 2:04.63. Halsall was third in 2:05.32, with Diaz (2:06.86) and Saldana Riebeling (2:07.70) finished fifth and sixth overall.
 
The 25-yard Backstroke featured Cotter's third-place finish in 13.22, while Reeves and Bullock tied for sixth in 13.65. Diruzza was ninth in the spring race in 13.88 with Claire Parsons going 13th in 14.56.
 
Pearson took her third Breaststroke win of the day in the 25-yard Breaststroke after touching the wall in 13.47. Kelley was third in the field in 13.86 with Heagy going seventh in 14.40.
 
The 25-yard Butterfly featured Boles' third-place result in 11.88, while Barasch (12.04) and Visscher (12.06) both finished inside the scoring. Diruzza rounded out the group 16th overall in 12.99.
 
Szadorski placed second overall in the 25-yard Freestyle as the senior went into the wall in 11.22. Cummins was sixth in 11.44, while Agapios (11.62), Pearson (11.73), Heagy (11.75), Saple (11.91), Reeves (12.04), Bullock (12.05), and Rose Parsons (12.15) showcased the Sycamores' depth in the field.
 
Bukvic posted Indiana State's final individual win of the event as the senior touched the wall in 2:19.93 to lead the field. Dilks was fourth to the wall in 2:23.74, while Cotter placed sixth in 2:25.27. Claire Parsons placed 11th in 2:29.25 with Moustgaard wrapping up the event 14th in 2:30.98.
 
The Sycamores closed out the day with the top group of Kelley, Agapios, Szadorski, and Farro finishing second overall in the 100-yard Freestyle Relay. Boles, Heagy, Barasch, and Saple was fifth in 46.51.
 
Top Indiana State Finishers in Each Event
200-yard Medley Relay: 3rd – Sahara Visscher, Ali Pearson, Kaleigh Kelley, Chloe Farro (1:44.53)
500-yard Free: 1st – Claire Parsons (4:56.93)
200-yard IM: 3rd – Alexandria Cotter (2:07.71)
75-yard Back: 2nd – Sahara Visscher (42.65)
75-yard Breast: 1st – Ali Pearson (46.47)
75-yard Fly: 1st – Kaleigh Kelley (40.06)
75-yard Free: 2nd – Chloe Farro (37.34)
3M Diving: 7th – Lucia McDougall (207.05)
200-yard Back: 3rd – Claire Parsons (2:06.18)
50-yard Free: 1st – Chloe Farro (23.83)
50-yard Breast: 1st – Ali Pearson (29.83)
50-yard Fly: 3rd – Raine Boles (26.01)
50-yard Back: 3rd – Sahara Visscher (27.05)
1M Diving: 10th – Daniela Orta Castaneda (182.55)
200-yard Fly: 2nd – Gemma Dilks (2:04.63)
25-yard Back: 3rd – Alexandria Cotter (13.22)
25-yard Breast: 1st – Ali Pearson (13.47)
25-yard Fly: 3rd – Raine Boles (11.88)
25-yard Free: 2nd – Alexa Szadorski (11.22)
200-yard Breast: 1st – Dorotea Bukvic (2:19.93)
100-yard Free Relay: 2nd – Kaleigh Kelley, Kalli Agapios, Alexa Szadorski, Chloe Farro (45.51)
 
Up Next
Indiana State returns to the pool on Friday, January 10, as the Sycamores host Southern Illinois and Indianapolis in a tri-meet at the Vigo County Aquatic Center starting at 1 p.m. ET
 
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