TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State swimming and diving heads to Evansville, Ind. and the Deaconess Aquatic Center as the Missouri Valley Conference favorite as voted on by the league's head coaches, as the Sycamores prepare to start the 2026 MVC Swimming and Diving Championships over February 25-28.
 
The Sycamores received six first-place votes and 75 total points as Indiana State looks to defend its title over the four-day event held with morning qualifying sessions starting at 11:30 a.m. ET, while the evening finals are set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
 
"We're excited to go compete as a team at the MVC Championships this week," head coach Josh Christensen said. "Once again, it will be a highly competitive meet. We've taken on a tough schedule this year that has prepared us well and shown that we can consistently navigate challenges and step up as a team. We'll need to do that again this week."
 
Southern Illinois received three first-place votes and 74 total points to finish second in the poll, while Missouri State (61) and UIC (57) rounded out the top four.
 
Wednesday, February 25 Event Schedule – 11:30 a.m./6:30 p.m. ET
200 Freestyle Relay, 500 Freestyle, 200 IM, 50 Freestyle, 400 Medley Relay
 
Thursday, February 26 Event Schedule – 11:30 a.m./6:30 p.m. ET
100 Butterfly, 400 IM, 200 Freestyle, 1M Diving, 200 Medley Relay
 
Friday, February 27 Event Schedule – 11:30 a.m./6:30 p.m. ET
200 Butterfly, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 800 Freestyle Relay
 
Saturday, February 28 Event Schedule – 11:30 a.m./6:30 p.m. ET
1650 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 3M Diving, 400 Freestyle Relay
 
Indiana State heads into the MVC Championships looking to defend the first title in program history after the Sycamores (1440.5) held off challenges from Southern Illinois (1331) and Missouri State (1034) over the four-day event by utilizing conference titles from Claire Parsons (1650 Free), Jecza Lopez (3M Diving), and the 400-yard Freestyle Relay on their way to pulling away from the Salukis over the final events in claiming the program's first conference title since Indiana State swimming and diving's inception in 2016.
 
Overall, the Sycamores claimed six event championships with Parsons (200 Free & 1650 Free) and Lopez (1M Diving & 3M Diving) winning multiple events. Alexandria Cotter (400 IM) and the Sycamores' 400-yard Freestyle Relay added to Indiana State's titles over the four days in Iowa.
 
Indiana State put together one of the toughest schedules in the conference this season and posted a 7-2 record in dual meet competition on the year, highlighted by wins at Missouri State and Southern Illinois, while topping Vanderbilt and Toledo in the Vigo County Aquatic Center. The Sycamores also set new marks in points scored at both the Miami (Ohio) Invite and the Tim Welsh Classic hosted by Notre Dame.
 
The Sycamores head into the meet with the MVC leader in four separate events to date including the 500-yard Free (Claire Parsons), 1000-yard Free (Grace Cummings), 1650-yard Free (Cummings), and 1M Diving (Jecza Lopez). Indiana State also features the deepest distance group in the MVC this season with four swimmers in the top four in the 1000-yard Free, three in the top four in the 500-yard Free, and three in the top four in the 1650-yard Freestyle events.
 
Sycamores Among the Valley Top 10

• 50-yard Free: Kaleigh Kelley (23.06, 5th), Raine Boles (23.07, 6th)
• 100-yard Free: Erin Cummins (50.51, 7th)
• 200-yard Free: Erin Cummins (1:48.33, 3rd), Claire Parsons (1:48.64, 4th), Grace Cummings (1:50.34, 9th)
• 500-yard Free: Claire Parsons (4:46.65, 1st), Grace Cummings (4:47.90, 2nd), Erin Cummins (4:51.14, 4th), Maria Saldana Riebeling (4:54.61, 9th)
• 1000-yard Free: Grace Cummings (9:46.97, 1st), Claire Parsons (9:57.39, 2nd), Maria Saldana Riebeling (10:03.88, 3rd), Gemma Dilks (10:04.20, 4th)
• 1650-yard Free: Grace Cummings (16:23.09, 1st), Claire Parsons (16:34.29, 2nd), Maria Saldana Riebeling (16:49.27, 3rd), Haley Halsall (17:04.93, 10th)
• 50-yard Back: Kiarra Thomas (26.20, 8th)
• 100-yard Back: Sahara Visscher (55.72, 5th)
• 200-yard Back: Anna Asplund (1:59.83, 4th), Sahara Visscher (2:00.33, 5th)
• 50-yard Breast: Ali Pearson (28.67, 2nd), Jenna Nave (29.70, 9th)
• 100-yard Breast: Ali Pearson (1:01.35, 2nd)
• 200-yard Breast: Ali Pearson (2:15.22, 3rd)
• 50-yard Fly: Raine Boles (25.04, 6th)
• 100-yard Fly: Raine Boles (54.47, 4th), Sophia Diaz (54.74, 7th), Erin Cummins (55.13, 10th)
• 200-yard Fly: Haley Halsall (1:59.73, 2nd), Raine Boles (2:02.20, 4th), Sophia Diaz (2:03.53, 7th)
• 400-yard IM: Maria Saldana Riebeling (4:25.05, 7th)
• 1M Diving: Jecza Lopez (303.08, 1st)
• 3M Diving: Jecza Lopez (315.75, 2nd)

Follow the Sycamores
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.