EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Drury University won the program’s eighth Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship at the Deaconess Aquatic Center on Saturday night. The Panthers have secured eight of the 11 league titles since the Conference began sport sponsorship in 2014.
Drury University scored (1,867 points) for the win, besting this year’s runner-up, University of Indianapolis (1,792). McKendree University (1,125) finished in third place, while Lewis University (945) and University of Missouri-St. Louis (865) rounded out the top five in fourth and fifth, respectively. Truman State University (744) and William Jewell College (559) placed sixth and seventh, respectively, while Rockhurst University (434), Quincy University (280), and Maryville University (171) completed the 10-team field.
Despite none today, a total of two women’s records were broken over the course of the five-day event. McKendree’s Andrea Menard-Cordoba garnered the first gold of the day, winning the 1-meter Diving event (453.15 points). Earning gold medals during the evening session was UMSL freshman Justice Beard in the 1650 Freestyle (16:40.74) to obtain a NCAA B-cut, while Truman junior Emily Traube placed first in the 100 Free (50.26), also earning a B-cut. Drury senior Lexie Waller secured gold and B-cut status in the 200 Back (1:57.97), along with the Panther teammates of Kasia Rogowska, Josie Bushell, Mellie Wijk, and Ashlyn Moore, who combined for a NCAA Provisional mark of 3:21.98 in the 400 Free Relay. UIndy junior Celina Schmidt claimed the top spot in the 200 Breaststroke, earning herself a B-cut (2:13.22).
At the conclusion of the meet, Drury’s Wijk was named the GLVC Swimmer of the Year, while UMSL’s Beard was recognized as GLVC Freshman of the Year by the league coaches, who also voted Triton mentor Tony Hernandez as GLVC Coach of the Year. UIndy’s Alexis Lumaj and McKendree’s Andrea Menard-Cordoba earned GLVC Co-Diver of the Year honors, after Lumaj won the 1-meter event and Menard-Cordoba took the 3-meter gold. Other than Diver of the Year, which is awarded to the diver(s) who earns the most total team points, the postseason honors are voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches. Per GLVC Bylaws, coaches are not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.
The league coaches also selected UMSL as the recipient of the GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award in women’s swimming and diving, while 10 student-athletes were named GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honorees. These individuals must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees from full-time GLVC member institutions are now eligible to become one of their school's two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced at the end of the academic year.
2024 GLVC WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING MAJOR POSTSEASON AWARDS
Swimmer of the Year: Mellie Wijk, DU
Co-Divers of the Year: Alexis Lumaj, UINDY and Andrea Menard-Cordoba, MCK
Freshman of the Year: Justice Beard, UMSL
Coach of the Year: Tony Hernandez, UMSL
GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
Missouri-St. Louis
GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP INDIVIDUAL AWARD HONOREES
Josie Bushell, DU
Stefanie Markwardt, UINDY
Lanie Patterson, LEWIS
Olivia Kindle, MU
Jocelyn Zgola, MCK
Averi Meade, UMSL
Megan Schill, QU
Danielle Horst, RU
Ella Thompson, TSU
Amelia Millhuff, WJC