ST. LOUIS - Illinois State Swim and Dive was predicted to finish fourth at next week's Valley Swim and Dive Championships in the conference's annual pre-championship coaches poll, as announced by the league office on Thursday.
Six-time defending Valley champion Missouri State edged Indiana State in a tight-race for the top spot in the poll. The Bears secured five first-place votes to Indiana State's four. Southern Illinois, who earned the final first-place vote, was tabbed third.
Behind the Redbirds was Marshall (Fifth), Northern Iowa (Sixth), UIC (Seventh), Little Rock (Eighth), Evansville (Ninth), Valparaiso (10th).
The Redbirds are coming off a second-place finish at the 2022 Valley Championships, which marked Illinois State's best mark at the Valley Swim Championships since 2014. Eva Reyes, the defending Valley 1M champion, and Madyson Morse, the reigning 200-yard IM champion, return after titles at the 2022 championships.
The 2023 Valley Championships, which will be hosted by UNI at the Campus and Recreation Center on the campus of the University of Iowa, are set for Feb. 15-18 in Iowa City.
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