The Missouri Valley Conference competed in the eighth week of the 2024-25 swimming and diving season. The Valley had eight men’s and women’s programs compete in meets last week. UIC, Illinois State, Little Rock, Missouri State, Southern Illinois, UNI and Valparaiso competed for the women while Ball State, UIC, Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Valparaiso competed for the men.
The Valley will have two women's teams competing this upcoming week and the men's teams will have two teams competing with Miami hosting the Miami Invitational.
Fifth-year swimmer Samantha Roemer led Missouri State women's swimming & diving to a runner-up finish at the 20th House of Champions Invitational in Indianapolis over the weekend. The 12-time Missouri Valley Conference gold medalist played a role in winning four events for the Bears, including three individual golds in the 200-yard IM (2:00.64), the 100-yard butterfly (53.30) and the 100-yard IM (55.96), the latter two being House of Champions records. She also got gold swimming third for the Bears in the 400 medley relay (3:40.51) for an invitational record and earned two silver medals swimming third in the 200 medley relay (1:40.47) and leading off in the 400 freestyle relay (3:21.66).
Nolan continues to make history midway through his junior season, finishing the men’s diving platform competition at IU-Indy’s House of Champions meet with a score of 349.25 points to win the event. It also qualified him for NCAA Zones, a first for a diver in UIC Swimming and Diving history. He also collected a win in the one-meter diving competition, scoring 365.65 points, and a second-place finish on the three-meter board (351.10 Points).
Morrison stepped up to the diving board and continued to hit top marks, this time at IU-Indy’s House of Champions Meet. She placed second on the three-meter board with a score 272.70 points and finished third in the one-meter diving event, scoring 238.60 points. The South African native completes her Fall season having not place lower than fourth place in any event.
Freshman Gonzalo Ruiz led Missouri State men's swimming & diving to a runner-up finish at the 20th House of Champions Invitational in Indianapolis over the weekend. Ruiz earned his third MVC Freshman of the Week award after also winning it on Oct. 9 and Nov. 6. Ruiz won three gold medals across the three-day meet, including one as the leadoff swimmer in the 400-yard medley relay (3:12.40) for a House of Champions record. He also won the 200-yard backstroke (1:45.15) and the 100-yard individual medley (50.29), the latter of which is also a House of Champions record. Ruiz also finished fourth in two events, the 200-yard individual medley (1:47.64), just .04 seconds off the podium, and in the 100-yard backstroke (48.54).
Wilson continues to improve in between the lane lines, and her work at IU-Indy’s House of Champions Meet this past weekend. She finished in the top eight in both the 100 Butterfly (5th Place/ 55.08) and the 200 Butterfly (7th Place/2:02.94). The New Zealand native currently holds the third highest mark in the 200 Butterfly and the Eighth highest mark in the 100 Butterfly in her first year at UIC.