UNI swim & dive: Panthers picked fifth in MVC Pre-Championship Poll

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI swimming and diving has been picked to finish fifth in this year's Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) pre-championship poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches.

Indiana State was picked to win the 2024 conference championship meet with four first-place votes and 76 total points, narrowly edging out Missouri State with four-first place votes and 74 points. The Bears have won the MVC title in each of the last seven seasons. Southern Illinois was picked third with one first-place vote and 65 points, followed by Illinois State (52 points) and UNI (47 points).

The 2024 MVC Swimming and Diving Championships will be held Feb. 21-24 at the Deaconess Aquatic Center in Evansville, Indiana, hosted for the first time by the University of Evansville.

Northern Iowa turned in an overall record of 10-3, with multiple career-best performances throughout the season. Amber Finke set new school records in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke events at the West Virginia Invitational, heading into next week's championship meet ranked second in both events. The Panthers also return reigning MVC 50-yard freestyle champion Faith Larsen, who led the conference from wire-to-wire with the top time in the sprinting event.

UNI also saw breakout performances on the national stage with Olivia Chambers and Cali Prochaska. In November, Prochaska won four medals, including two gold at the Parapan American Games in Chile, while Chambers set a new world record in the S13 1,500-meter freestyle at the U.S. Paralympic Swimming National Championships.

On the springboards, the Panthers posted an impressive season with multiple season and career-best scores. Freshman Trista Thompson secured an NCAA Zones cut in the one-meter competition, while Erica Peters helped pace UNI down the stretch with wins at the Panther Diving Invite and the Omaha Diving Invite.

2024 MVC SWIMMING & DIVING PRE-CHAMPIONSHIP POLL [First-Place Votes] (Points)

Indiana State [4] (76)
Missouri State [4] (74)
Southern Illinois [1] (65)
Illinois State (52)
UNI (47)
UIC (32)
Little Rock (30)
Evansville (18)
Valparaiso (11)

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