WAUKEE, Iowa – Jecza Lopez became the first diver in Indiana State program history to win a conference title as the sophomore claimed the crown in the 1M Springboard Diving event to highlight the Sycamores' second day at the Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championships.
 
Lopez was the top qualifier in the 1M Diving prelims and took control of the evening's finals on her fifth dive, on her way to setting a new school record with 305.35 points on her way to topping Illinois State's Eva Reyes (297.60).
 
The Sycamores added another school record in the 400-yard Medley Relay, their third relay record of the week, while Chloe Farro (50 Free), Alexandria Cotter (200 IM), and Erin Cummins (500 Free) all finished on the podium to highlight Indiana State's day in the pool.
 
Indiana State leads in the team standings with 492.5 points over the first seven events in the pool. Southern Illinois is second with 441, while Missouri State (379) rounds out the top three in the field.
 
Thursday Evening Finals
The Sycamores finished on the podium in all five events on Thursday evening highlighted by Jecza Lopez's 1M Springboard Diving Championship, while Chloe Farro (50 Free) and the 400-yard Medley Relay team took second-place overall to highlight the second night of competition at the Waukee CSD Natatorium.
 
The night started with the 500-yard Freestyle finals as six Sycamores took on the 24-person field over the three finals. Erin Cummins finished third overall in finishing on the podium for the second consecutive season as the sophomore posted a time of 4:50.26. Claire Parsons was fourth in 4:50.63, while Maria Saldana Riebeling (4:52.97) and Haley Halsall (4:55.88) finished fifth and seventh respectively.
 
Trista Bullock was seventh in the B-Finals with 5:02.15, while Peyton Heagy was third in the C-Final in 5:00.68.
 
Four Sycamores advanced to the Thursday night finals led by Alexandria Cotter and Gemma Dilks' showing in the A-Finals. Cotter finished third overall in the field with a time of 2:01.77 to make her first individual podium of the week, while Dilks placed eighth overall in 2:03.46. Dorotea Bukvic was second in the B-Finals in 2:03.84 with Pearson finishing two spots back in 2:05.23.
 
The Sycamores placed six athletes in the 50-yard Freestyle finals on Friday night led by Chloe Farro, Kaleigh Kelley, and Alexa Szadorski in the A-Finals. Farro set a new personal-best on her way to finishing second overall in the field in 22.84. Kelley was fourth in 22.99, while Szadorski placed seventh in 23.12. The C-Final featured Raine Boles tying for second in 23.37 to place just ahead of Visscher (23.50) and Kalli Agapios (23.71).
 
Jecza Lopez became the first Indiana State diver in school history to break 300 points on the 1M Springboard as the sophomore claimed the Sycamores' first diving championship in program history. The Guadalajara, Mexico native posted a six-dive score of 305.35 to claim the title by seven points over Illinois State's Eva Reyes (297.60).
 
Indiana State wrapped up the night with the A-Team of Visscher, Ali Pearson, Kelley, and Farro placing second overall in the 400-yard Medley Relay field with a school-record time of 3:38.90. Visscher went out in 54.74 in the backstroke, while Pearson (1:00.74), Kelley (53.94), and Farro (49.48) were solid the rest of the way.
 
Top Indiana State Finishers in Evening Finals
500-yard Freestyle: 3rd – Erin Cummins (4:50.26)
200-yard IM: 3rd – Alexandria Cotter (2:01.77)
50-yard Freestyle: 2nd – Chloe Farro (22.84)
1M Diving: Champion – Jecza Lopez (305.25, school record)
400-yard Medley Relay: 2nd – Sahara Visscher, Ali Pearson, Kaleigh Kelley, Chloe Farro (3:38.90, school record)
 
Thursday Morning Prelims
Indiana State put nine athletes in the A-Finals of the 500-yard Freestyle, 200-yard IM, and 50-yard Freestyle to open day two of the MVC Swimming & Diving Championships on Thursday morning.
 
Claire Parsons, Erin Cummins, Maria Saldana Riebeling, and Haley Halsall all qualified for the 500-yard Freestyle event final with Parsons, Cummins, and Riebeling finishing third, fourth, and fifth, while Halsall claimed the eighth and final position in the field. Trista Bullock was the lone Sycamore to qualify for the B-Final, while Peyton Heagy was in the C-Final.
 
Rose Parsons finished in 5:01.27 to wrap up the Indiana State athletes in the event.
 
The Sycamores added two more in the 200-yard IM event A-Finals as Gemma Dilks and Alexandria Cotter finished fifth and seventh respectively in the field. Dorotea Bukvic narrowly missed on joining her teammates in the A-Final finishing .05 behind Missouri State's Olivia Sala (2:02.89) for the final position in the top eight. Ali Pearson joined Bukvic in the B-Finals.
 
Sophia Diaz (2:11.70) and Olivia Diruzza (2:09.99) also took on the field in the event.
 
Three Sycamores qualified for the 50-yard Freestyle A-Finals as Alexa Szadorski set a new personal mark in the event to place fifth, while Kaleigh Kelley and Chloe Farro finished tied for seventh overall. Sahara Visscher finished 17th in the field to claim the top spot in the C-Finals, where she will be joined by Kalli Agapios and Raine Boles as the Sycamores placed six overall in the top 24 in the event.
 
Allie Barasch (24.23), Ash Saple (24.42), and Kate Reeves (24.86), also took on the field in the 50-yard Freestyle event.
 
Jecza Lopez was the top overall qualifier in the Missouri Valley in the 1M Diving prelims as the sophomore topped Illinois State's Eva Reyes 280.10-279.75. Lopez advanced to the A-Finals in the event, while Daniela Orta Castaneda (195.65), Evan McDougall (192.05), Brenna Woodruff (206.35), and Ella Taylor (199.30) rounded out the Sycamores overall in the preliminary field.
 
Top Indiana State Finishers in Morning Prelims
500-yard Freestyle: A-Final – Claire Parsons (4:51.47), Erin Cummins (4:53.51), Maria Saldana Riebeling (4:55.24), Haley Halsall (4:56.60); B-Final – Trista Bullock (4:59.23); C-Final – Peyton Heagy (5:02.72)
200-yard IM: A-Final – Gemma Dilks (2:02.35), Alexandria Cotter (2:02.49); B-Final – Dorotea Bukvic (2:02.94), Ali Pearson (2:06.06)
50-yard Freestyle: A-Final – Alexa Szadorski (23.08), Chloe Farro (23.15), Kaleigh Kelley (23.15); C-Final – Sahara Visscher (23.39), Kalli Agapios (23.55), Raine Boles (23.55)
1M Diving Prelims: A-Final – Jecza Lopez (280.10)
 
Up Next
Friday, February 28 Event Schedule
Morning Prelims: 100-yard Fly, 400-yard IM, 200-yard Freestyle, 100-yard Breaststroke, 100-yard Backstroke, 3M Diving
Evening Finals: 100-yard Fly, 400-yard IM, 200-yard Freestyle, 100-yard Breaststroke, 100-yard Backstroke, 3M Diving (9-16), 200-yard Freestyle Relay
 
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