SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Indiana State leads Missouri State, 96-90, through the first day of the dual meet with the Bears as the Sycamores opened the 2025-26 regular season at the Hammons Student Center Pool.
 
Claire Parsons claimed two event wins in both the 200-yard and 500-yard Freestyle, while Sara Keefe recorded her first win of the collegiate season in the 100-yard Backstroke. Jecza Lopez claimed the 3M Springboard diving win, and the Sycamores wrapped up the opening day in the pool with the 200-yard Freestyle Relay win.
 
"We got off to a really slow start tonight and dug ourselves a hole," head coach Josh Christensen said. "They were very ready to go and we just were not quite there. I was really proud of how we closed out the last few events though. We definitely showed some fight there. I'm looking forward to seeing how we respond tomorrow."
 
The Sycamores opened meet with the quartet of Keefe, Ali Pearson, Raine Boles, and Erin Cummins placing second overall in the 400-yard Medley Relay, touching the wall in a time of 3:49.21. Sahara Visscher, Jenna Nave, Sophia Diaz, and Addison Johnson finished fourth in 3:56.84, while Anna Asplund, Peyton Heagy, Allie Barasch, and Rachel Stutz finished fifth in 4:00.94. The final group of Kate Reeves, Kiarra Thomas, Raz Harel, and Ash Saple placed sixth in 4:03.61.
 
Gemma Dilks was the first Sycamore to the wall in the 400-yard IM as the sophomore placed second in the field with a time of 4:34.35. Maria Saldana Riebeling placed third in 4:37.62, while Ella Moustgaard was fifth in 4:40.80. Elle Santucci was sixth in 4:44.07.
 
The Sycamores put three inside the top six in the 100-yard fly led by Johnson's team-best time of 58.03. Boles finished fifth in 58.10, while Diaz placed sixth in 58.37. Haley Halsall rounded out the group in the pool finishing eighth in 59.13. Raz Harel finished with a time of 1:01.03 in an exhibition swim.
 
Parsons claimed the Sycamores' first win of the afternoon as the reigning MVC Champion touched the wall first in the 200-yard Freestyle with a time of 1:52.07. Cummins was third overall in 1:53.79 with Heagy placing fourth in 1:56.46. Asplund rounded out the competition group with a time of 1:59.72, while Cummings went 1:58.39 in an exhibition swim.
 
Agapios was the first Sycamore to the wall in the 50-yard Freestyle as the senior went 24.89 in her first individual swim of the regular season to place third in the field. Saple placed fourth in 24.92, while Stutz (25.01) and Barasch (25.11) rounded out the top six overall in the event.
 
Pearson was Indiana State's top finisher in the 100-yard Breaststroke with the senior going 1:04.09 to place second in the field. Nave was fourth in 1:05.94, while Thomas recorded a top-five finish in 1:09.99.
 
Keefe picked up her first win of the season in the 100-yard Backstroke as the freshman topped teammate Visscher by .2 seconds with the 58.20-58.40 win. Reeves placed fifth in the field in 59.49, while Moustgaard placed sixth in 59.70. Harel went 1:03.73 to round out the group.
 
Parsons claimed her second individual win of the meet going 5:00.11 to win the 500-yard Freestyle by three seconds over teammate Dilks (5:03.93). Riebeling was third overall in 5:07.86, while Cummins went 5:12.69 as the Sycamores' depth put four swimmers inside the top five in the field. Halsall (5:13.62), Heagy (5:15.23), and Santucci (5:27.55) rounded out the group in the competition.
 
The Sycamores claimed their first relay win of the season in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay as Cummins, Visscher, Boles, and Agapios went out in 1:36.20 to win the event by .29. The team of Stutz, Johnson, Pearson, and Saple finished third in 1:38.55, while Asplund, Barasch, Diaz, and Parsons placed fifth in 1:40.62. The final group of Reeves, Keefe, Nave, and Riebeling placed sixth in 1:41.12.
 
Lopez continued her dominance on the springboards as the reigning MVC champion took the win in the 3M event on Friday evening. The junior scored 290.40 over her six dives to win the event by nearly 30 points on the day. Brenna Woodruff was fifth with 233.65, while Sofia Dansereau was sixth in 223.35. Bree Cleary finished one spot back with a score of 218.30. Ella Taylor rounded out the competition with a total of 201.00.
 
Indiana State Top Finishers
400-Yard Medley Relay: 2nd - Sara Keefe, Ali Pearson, Raine Boles, Erin Cummins (3:49.21)
400-yard IM: 2nd – Gemma Dilks (4:34.35)
100-yard Fly: 3rd – Addison Johnson (58.03)
200-yard Free: 1st – Claire Parsons (1:52.07)
50-yard Free: 3rd – Kalli Agapios (24.89)
100-yard Breast: 2nd – Ali Pearson (1:04.09)
100-yard Back: 1st – Sara Keefe (58.20)
500-yard Free: 1st – Claire Parsons (5:00.11)
200-yard Free Relay: 1st – Erin Cummins, Sahara Visscher, Raine Boles, Kalli Agapios (1:36.20)
3M Diving: 1st – Jecza Lopez (290.40)
 
Up Next
Indiana State swimming and diving continues the 2025-26 season on Saturday, October 18, as the Sycamores close out the meet at Missouri State. Events are set to start at 10 a.m. ET. at the Hammons Student Center Pool.
 
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