IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Evansville junior Maya Cunningham (Yakima, Wash./Eisenhower) broke UE’s fourth school record of the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Swimming & Diving Championships on Friday on her way to earning first-team all-MVC honors.
Cunningham posted UE’s fastest time ever in the 400-yard IM event with a time of 4:26.77 in Friday’s preliminary round. She then came back later on Friday to earn first team all-MVC honors by placing third in the 400 IM with a time of 4:26.95. She is the first Purple Ace to earn first team all-MVC honors since diver Courtney Coverdale did so in 2018.
“Maya is the star of the night,” said UE head swimming coach Stuart Wilson. “To break a school record and finish in the top three at conference is a tremendous accomplishment.
“I will say that I thought that the ladies swam much better at night in the finals. They are a persistent group and they will not give up. I am proud of how they swam tonight. I also thought the divers stepped up again today. One more day to grind.”
Cunningham was not the only Purple Ace to earn all-MVC honors on Friday, as sophomore Iryna Tsesiul (Minsk, Belarus) also earned honorable mention all-Valley honors in the 100-yard Backstroke, as she placed seventh overall with a time of 56.03. It marks the second-straight year in which Tsesiul has earned honorable mention all-MVC honors.
UE also continued to have strong showings in the “B Finals” at the Valley Championships, as juniors Allison McDonald (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Cape Central) and Sage Moore (Lexington, Ohio/Lexington) finished third and fourth respectively in the “B Finals” of the 100-yard Breaststroke. Fellow junior Sonsoles Aguayo (Jerez, Spain) also finished third in the “B Finals” of the 200-yard Freestyle.
The 2022 MVC Swimming & Diving Championships will conclude on Saturday with a full day of events. Saturday’s action will feature the finals of the three-meter diving competition, as well as prelims and finals in the 1,650-yard Freestyle, the 200-yard Backstroke, the 100-yard Freestyle, the 200-yard Breaststroke, 200-yard Butterfly, and the 400-yard Medley Relay. Preliminary swims will begin at 11 a.m., with finals set for 6 p.m.
