CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Illinois State swimming and diving team set a school record in the 800-yard freestyle relay, as Marissa Yontz clocked a school-record time in 200-yard freestyle swimming the first leg of the relay, Wednesday at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship at Southern Illinois' Dr. Edward Shea Natatorium.
The Redbirds finished the first day of competition tied for third place with Evansville. Missouri State currently leads the field, with host Southern Illinois sitting in second place.
Yontz broke her own school record with a time of 1:48.35 in the first 200 yards of the relay. Kristin Verkler, Laura Paskoff and Cecilia Holmes followed as the unit clocked a time of 7:25.80 to finish in third place.
"Those will be the highlights of the first night of the meet for the Redbirds. Those girls will go down in the history books," ISU head coach Steve Paska said of the record-setting performances in the 800-yard freestyle relay. "This was a solid start and we're looking forward to the second day."
Illinois State took fourth place in the 200-yard medley relay, the only other event Wednesday. The Redbird team of Samantha Schuckles, Courtney Taylor, Alexis Nash and Katherine Nelson finished in a time of 1:43.70, just one-tenth of a second from third place and two-tenths from second place.
"We were close," Paska said. "We made some minor mistakes, and we have to correct those and be ready to swim tomorrow at 11 o'clock."
The 2015 MVC Championship continues Thursday, with the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard IM, 50-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay and 1-meter diving.
Event Breakdown
200-yard medley relay: Missouri State won the event … Illinois State's non-point-scoring team of Rachel Root, Allison Soper, Katie Breger and Kristin Horney finished in a time of 1:46.19 … the Redbird team of Katelyn Kresal, Jillena Everest, Sarah Thomas and Rachel Holm finished in 1:48.54.
800-yard freestyle relay: Southern Illinois won the event … Illinois State's non-point-scoring team of Grace Soltys, Kresal, Brittany Felice and Sara Stansell clocked a time of 7:44.44 … the Redbird team of Karley Licking, Alyssa Swanson, Maddie Farrell and Everest finished in 7:52.48 … Farrell, Swanson and Soltys all swam season-best splits.
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