Panthers Primed for Dwelling-and-Dwelling Matchup With Missouri State

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury swimming and diving opens the 2026 portion of its schedule this weekend with home-and-home meets towards cross-town rival Missouri State, starting with Friday (Jan. 16) afternoon at Breech Pool. 

The Panthers and Bears will kick off the primary of their two duals with the diving (girls’s 3-meter and males’s 1-meter) competitors at 3 p.m., adopted by the swimming portion of the occasion at 5 p.m. The scene shifts to Hammons Student Center on Saturday (Jan. 17), starting at 10 a.m. Live outcomes for each meets can be accessible through the Meet Mobile app and DiveMeets.com.

The Drury swimming applications are led by Brian Reynolds, one of many nation’s most completed collegiate swimming coaches. Reynolds enters his forty third yr as head coach of the Panthers males’s staff and his thirty eighth season main the ladies’s program in 2025-26.

LAST TIME OUT…

Both Drury groups are coming off dominant residence twin wins over William Jewell and Southwest Baptist of their final meets of 2025 on Dec. 5. Ranked fourth within the December version of the CSCAA Division II Top 25 twin meet ballot, the DU girls (2-1) routed SBU (161-13), then cruised previous Jewell (156-18) to finish the sweep.

Gwen Bergum claimed a pair of particular person wins, taking the 100 IM crown with a swim of 57.26. She additionally introduced residence gold the 100 free (52.61), along with serving to the Panthers’ 200 medley relay staff to victory (together with Elvira Lonnberg Flores, Juliana Harden and Petra Baumane) with a time of 1:45.13.

On the boys’s aspect of the ledger, the Panthers earned the highest spot within the CSCAA D-II Top 25 ballot for the third consecutive month in December. Drury improved to 3-0 in twin meets with resounding victories over SBU (168-6) and Jewell (165-9).

Alvaro Zornoza turned in a dominant effort to guide the boys, notably within the 100 IM, setting a then-NCAA Division II file with a time of 48.31. Zornoza picked up a second-place end within the 100 breast (54.92) and he additionally helped the DU 200 medley relay squad to gold with a swim of 1:31.43 (together with Elliot Weber, Belhassen Ben miled and Marwane Sebbata).

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Petra Baumane (dash free) starred for the victorious Drury 200 free and 200 medley relay groups, anchoring the latter’s 1:45.13 run; she additionally posted a fourth-place particular person end within the 100 again with a time of 1:00.60.
• Gwen Bergum (IM/free) was Drury’s high scoring feminine vs. William Jewell and Southwest Baptist together with her wins within the 100 IM and 100 free, along with her efficiency with the 200 medley relay staff.
• Ashlyn Moore (free/again/relays) logged a third-place end within the 50 free (25.03) in DU’s final outing (Dec. 5); additionally anchored the Panthers’ 200 free (and 200 medley relay groups to second-place finishes.
• Carter Austin (diving) enters Friday’s twin driving a sizzling streak after claiming the highest podium spot in his final three meets; Austin received the 1-meter (392.63) competitors vs. Jewell and SBU, earlier than sweeping wins in each the 1-meter and 3-meter dives Dec. 13 vs. Rockhurst in Lawrence, Kan. 
• Colby Hughes (distance/fly) claimed two wins within the Panthers’ double twin victory over Jewell and SBU, incomes gold within the 1000 free (9:21.85), earlier than grabbing the victory within the 500 free (4:31.47).
• Alvaro Zornoza (again/fly/relays) continued to shine for the Panthers vs. Jewell and SBU together with his win within the 100 IM and silver within the 100 breast.

LOOKING AHEAD

Drury swimming and diving will host Oklahoma Christian in a house twin for Senior Day, subsequent weekend (Jan. 23-24) at Breech Pool.

For all the newest data on Drury swimming and diving, go to drurypanthers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, comply with the Panthers on Instagram.

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