ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State women's swimming and diving was selected second overall in the Missouri Valley Conference's preseason poll as announced by the conference office on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Sycamores received 74 total points and three first-place votes heading into the 2024-25 season as Indiana State looks to utilize its depth and experience this year to take the next step in program history.
 
Indiana State finished runner-up in both the 2023 and 2024 MVC Championships and was voted as the pre-championship favorite prior to the 2024 meet as the Sycamores have firmly established themselves as a team to watch in Valley competition.
 
Overall, Indiana State set 16 new school records over the course of the 2023-24 season and added multiple new Top 10 results on the all-time performance list. Kaleigh Kelley, Alexa Szadorski, Erin Cummins, Claire Parsons, Ali Pearson, and Alexandria Cotter all set new individual record-setting marks over the course of last season, and the Sycamores established four new relay records on the year.
 
The Sycamores return the majority of the roster from the 2023-24 season, including reigning Missouri Valley Freshman of the Year in Claire Parsons. She highlights 12 returning All-Conference performers in the pool and on the diving board including Cummins (500 Free), Parsons (500 Free & 1650 Free), Cotter (200 IM & 400 IM), and Kelley (100 Fly). Additional key returners to the squad include Dorotea Bukvic, Alexa Szadorski, Zoe Smith, Chloe Farro, Raz Harel, Ali Pearson, Haley Halsall, and Olivia DiRuzza.
 
Missouri State has been tabbed as the league favorite on the women's side in the annual coaches' preseason poll, receiving 78 points and six first-place votes. Indiana State follows closely behind with 74 points and three first-place votes. Southern Illinois (63 points), Illinois State (53 points) and Little Rock (40 points) join the Bears and the Sycamores in the top half of the poll. UNI (37 points), UIC (33 points), Evansville (17 points) and Valparaiso (10 points) round out the preseason poll results.
 
The Sycamores open the 2024-25 season this weekend with their annual Blue-Gray Meet set to be held inside the Vigo County Aquatic Center on Friday, September 27. The meet is set to start at 6 p.m. ET
 
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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.