Diving Into Victory: Women’s Swim Team Triumphs Over McKendree to Kickstart 2025

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri State women’s swimming & diving team split their tri-dual competition against Missouri and McKendree to commence the 2025 segment of the season. The women’s squad triumphed over McKendree, 204-87, yet fell to Mizzou, 232-67. Unfortunately, the men’s team lost both of its direct encounters, suffering a defeat to last year’s Division II fourth-place Bearcats, 191-102, and to last year’s Division I 27th-place Tigers, 228-66.

The women’s group initiated the day with a podium finish in the 200-yard medley relay. Caitlyn Friebe, Cabrini Johnson, Samantha Roemer, and Lana Janson secured third place in the event, clocking a time of 1:40.57.

Janson shined as a key performer for the Bears, achieving victory in the 200-yard freestyle (1:48.59). Her time was merely one-tenth of a second shy of her personal season best established on the first day of the meet against Omaha on Nov. 1. This win marked Janson’s fifth individual triumph of the season, all achieved in freestyle categories.

Johnson contributed Missouri State’s other win in the meet. She finished first in the 200-yard breaststroke, recording a time of 2:13.10. The reigning Missouri Valley Conference silver medalist in this event outperformed Missouri’s Karolina Bank by less than a tenth of a second (2:13.10). Additionally, Johnson set the team’s season-best time in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:01.31), exceeding her previous top time of 1:01.60, which she recorded in Missouri State’s last competition at the 2024 House of Champions Invitational.

A number of Bears achieved personal record times to kick off the 2025 season. Sarah Culberson led the Bears with a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly, posting her best MSU time of 2:02.82, ranking as the sixth-fastest individual time in the Valley. Freshman Lillie Freulon also registered a personal best in the 100-yard butterfly (54.49), placing her eighth in the conference.

The women concluded the day with another bronze performance in the 400-yard medley relay. Cameryn Johnson, Roemer, Freulon, and Makenzie Kurre clocked a combined time of 3:24.44.

In diving, Maggie Arceneaux topped the Bears in the 1-meter dive with a score of 224.40. In the 3-meter dive, Courtney Stanbury led the team with a score of 323.65. Both finished sixth in their respective dives.

The men’s team started the day by taking fourth place in the 200 medley relay (1:28.83) with Gonzalo Ruiz, Luigi Maciel da Silva, Simeon Sabev, and Matvei Chesakov. Ruiz, who claimed victory in the 150-yard backstroke during yesterday’s exhibition, led the Bears on Saturday in the 100-yard backstroke (49.45), 200-yard backstroke (1:47.69), and 200-yard individual medley (1:55.03). 

Brunno Suzuki-Tomiyama, last season’s Missouri Valley Conference 500-yard freestyle champion, placed third in this event with a time of 4:32.25. 

Logan Schelfaut excelled for the Bears in both diving events, finishing fourth in the 1-meter dive (279.10) and fifth in the 3-meter dive (286.73).

The Missouri State swimming & diving program will compete in Springfield for the final time this season when they host conference rival UIC for a two-day meet commencing Friday at 3:00 p.m. Missouri State’s Senior Day meet will take place the following day, starting at 10:00 a.m.

 

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