NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State swimming and diving team, under the direction of second-year head coach Caitlin Hamilton, will travel to Carbondale, Illinois, this week to battle it out at the 2021 Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
The three-day event is set to begin on Wednesday at 10 a.m. with the 500-yard freestyle preliminary race to kick things off. There will be preliminary rounds that begin at 10 a.m. the remaining two days, with final heats beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and 5 p.m. on Friday.
Championship Central
To follow along with all the action during the 2021 MVC Swimming and Diving Championships, be sure to visit the championship central landing page on the Valley's website.
Pre-Championship Predictions
The Redbirds were picked to finish fourth in the annual pre-championship poll completed by the league's head coaches. Missouri State was picked to repeat as champions for the fifth-straight year, while championship host Southern Illinois was projected to finish second. Indiana State was selected just ahead of the Redbirds, as UNI, Evansville, Little Rock and Valparaiso rounded out the voting.
Making a Splash
A total of 19 Redbird swimmers will compete for Illinois State at this year's championships. Eight student-athletes, including a trio of freshmen, hold top-10 marks in the MVC in their respective individual events. Illinois State's strongest showing will be in the 200 IM, as three Redbirds – Olivia Gonder (6th), Julie Kolar (9th) and Emily Keebler (10th) – sit in the top 10 this season, while Haley Rivera is just outside.
Diving In
The Illinois State diving squad is led by three-time all-conference performer, Caroline Lecoeur, who has swept every 1- and 3-meter diving event she's competed in this season. She will be joined on the boards by Kamryn Blake and Megan Mulligan in both events at the championships.
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