Missouri swimming and diving takes first at Mizzou Invitational

The Missouri swimming and diving team enjoyed multiple victories at the Mizzou Invitational this past weekend, with the men and women’s teams each finishing in first place. The men posted 1,380 points, and the women put up 1,241.
The runner up in the men's competition, Drury University, was the toughest competition among a field that included University of Nebraska, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Truman State and Boise State.
The women’s toughest competition came from Boise State. The Broncos recorded a total of 880 points, good for a second place finish.
The Tigers began the three-day invitational Friday, by taking first place in six of the eight preliminary events. Missouri added to its strong performance later in the day by winning nine out of 12 finals events. At the close of the invitational, coach Greg Rhodenbaugh said he was speechless at his team’s performance.
“We did so great today,” Rhodenbaugh said. “As a whole we were impressive. We put up a lot of new records this weekend and to do that so early in the season is just beyond words.”
Missouri began the second day of competition Saturday, leading by a vast margin. The Tigers continued their dominance, possibly putting up their best performance of the weekend. Missouri had a swimmer register a first place finish in every one of the eight preliminary events.
In the second session of the day, the Tigers took eight of the 12 finals. Senior captain Anders Melin, one of the crucial members of the 200-medley relay, said he was very pleased with their performance.
“In the past, at the meet, we have always looked at other teams and asked ourselves how they can swim so fast,” Melin said. “I feel like after this meet other teams are looking at us. Even I am still amazed at how well we swam.”
Saturday, the diving team concluded its competition. The Missouri divers did much better than they had in the past, claiming the top three finishes in the men’s and women’s three meter. They also took the top three spots in the men’s one meter, and the top two in the women’s.
On the third and final day of competition, the Tiger swimmers won a majority of the ten preliminaries, continuing their winning ways with six first place finishes. In the finals, the Tigers took seven of the 12 events.
The final event, the men’s 400 free relay, showcased Missouri’s speed. The Tigers won with a final time of 2:58.55, more than three seconds faster than top competitor, Drury University. Senior captain Jordan Hawley said the win was a crucial one.
“The relay teams really stepped up today,” Hawley said. “They had a really good weekend overall, and its those kind of wins that will get you to (the NCAA Tournament).”
At the close of day three, Rhodenbaugh said he was impressed with his teams' performance overall.
“It’s always nice to be able to close out such a long invite like this one with a strong performance on day three,” he said.