Hawkins, Janonis Tabbed by MVC as Swimmer and Diver of the Week

This week's State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Swimmer and Diver of the Week are Jordan Hawkins of Missouri State and Katie Janonis of Illinois State.  Both Hawkins and Janonis placed first in respective events and hold top times on the Valley best list as the 2007-08 swimming and diving season gets underway.

Hawkins, a native of Choctaw, Okla., won both events she entered and helped the Bears sweep a double dual with Truman State and Delta State. She began with a victory in the 50 Free, fending off four trailing Truman State swimmers to win the 12-person race. Hawkins time, 24.53, ranks second in the Valley this year.  She concluded the meet by swimming the 100 Free in 52.55 to clear the field by nearly 1.5 seconds.  That time also ranks second-best in the league so far this season.

Janonis, a native of Mt. Prospect, Ill., started the season off strong at conference fore Northern Iowa, placing first on the 1-meter board (239.07) and third on the 3-meter (234.00). She had season-bests and finished first on both the 1-meter (244.10) and 3-meter (246.50) boards last weekend at Lindenwood University.  Janonis finished up the weekend at the UIC Diving Invitational and had two top-five finishes, placing first on the 1-meter board with a score of 241.85 and fourth on the 3-meter board with a score of 231.2.

Other Notable Performances:
SWIMMER
Kaitlyn Sluka, Evansville • Fr. • Edgewood, Kentucky
2:07.87 in the 200 back (placed first)

Amanda Firman, Northern Iowa • So • Cedar Falls, Iowa
Firman has had a great start to the 2007-2008 season.  Among posting top three times in the MVC in the 50 and 100-free events, Firman took home three victories in four individual starts including a 50-free victory over Kansas.  She also anchored the Panthers in a 200 medley relay victory over Illinois State which currently stands as the best 200 medley relay time in the MVC. 

Amy Schaefer, Illinois State • Fr. • Aurora, Ill.
Freshman Amy Schaefer has had tremendous performances from the start of the season. At the Notre Dame Relays, Schaefer swam eight events, leading the Illinois State swimming and diving team to a second-place finish. Despite swimming eight events the night before, Amy placed first in both the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly at Northern Iowa. She was also part of the 400 freestyle relay team which placed first and the 200 medley relay squad, which took second. Last weekend at Lindenwood University, Schaefer placed first in both the 200 IM and the 500 freestyle events, leading the team to a first-place finish.

DIVER
Jennifer Childers, Evansville • Fr. • Versailles, Kentucky
196.95 in the women’s 1 meter diving (placed third)

Chelsea Ray, Missouri State • So. • Anchorage, Alaska
Ray swept both women’s diving events in MSU’s double dual victory over Delta State and Truman State. Ray opened with a victory in the first event of the meet, accumulating 216.9 points on the 3-meter board for the win. In the 1-meter competition, Ray posted an identical score to earn her second victory of the meet.