DU men’s swim team is NCAA-II runner-up; women’s team 3rd as Allie Waller wins title in 200 Back

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.— The Drury men’s swimming & diving team finished the NCAA-II Runner-Up, while the women’s team claimed third nationally as the national championship meet concluded Saturday night at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 
The Drury men’s squad finished with 450.5 points to come in number two in the nation, behind Indianapolis’ total of 527 points. Fellow Great Lakes Valley Conference member McKendree was third with 352.5 points as the GLVC had the top three team finishes in the championship.
 
The Drury women’s team was third as they finished with 352.5 points. Nova Southeastern won the women’s championship with 536.5 points, and Indianapolis was second with 488.5
 
Drury women’s swimmer Allie Waller took home a national championship on the final night of competition, winning the 200 Backstroke. The fifth-year senior from Scotland posted a time of 1:55.20 and won by 1.39 seconds over Kathryn McCoy from Indianapolis. Aurora Duncan finished ninth in that event with a time of 1:59.05.
 
Claire Conover put up a third place finish in the 200 Breaststroke. Conover completed the event in 2:13.61, while teammate Mellie Wijk was eighth (2:17.93).
 
Drury was seventh in the women’s 400 Free Relay Team as Josie Bushell, Ellie Walker, Ashyln Moore, and Mellie Wijk combined for a time of 3:23.45.
 
The Drury men’s team claimed the national runner-up finish on the strength of six events on the final night.
 
The Panthers were third and fifth in the 200 Back. Nathan Bighetti came in third with a time of 1:42.25, while Andrew Rodriguez was fifth (1:43.69).
 
Davi Mourao was fifth in the 200 Breast posting a time of 1:56.72, and Kham Glass finished sixth in the 100 Free (43.76). Colby Hughes came in ninth in the 1650 Free with a time of 15:22.14.
 
Drury senior Cole Earl was fifth in the 1-meter competition finishing with 507 points. The Springfield-Glendale product was also fifth in the 3-meter event earlier in the week.
 
The Panthers ended the national event with a fifth place finish in the 400 Free Relay. Vladislav Terziev, Kham Glass, Davi Mourao, and Joao Nogueria swam to a time of 2:55.50.
 
This year’s national championship marked the third straight runner-up finish for the Drury men’s team, while the women’s squad came in one spot better than their fourth place finish last year.
 
 
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