Next up for Director of Swimming & Diving Andrew Grevers and the Missouri Tigers is a spirited Halloween two-day dual meet at SIU-Carbondale on Friday and Saturday, October 30-31, where the team will focus on the details amid heavy training volume.
“Going into the dual meet in Carbondale, our focus remains on heavy training volume, details, and race execution while tired,” Grevers said by email. “We are in the thick of our main training block, so we want to see how well our athletes can pay attention
to the little things—starts, turns, relay exchanges, and finish touch technique—even under high physical load.”
He continued. “It is about building toughness and ensuring our base is rock solid before we start refining things down the road.”
Season Rewind
The Tigers are coming off a solid performance at the SMU Classic, followed by sweep of Missouri State and Indiana Statein the team’s home opener at Mizzou Aquatic Center. When asked what he’s liked about his team’s performance thus far, Grevers said, “I have been thrilled with our team culture, our energy on the deck, and how supportive the student-athletes are of one another. Going down to the SMU Classic provided an early test against top-tier competition where we saw great grit and personal bests, like Matthew Mortenson in the 500 free.”
He continued, “Coming back home for our double tri-meet sweep showed our depth and ability to execute in back-to-back sessions. The overall attitude, willingness to dig deep, and relentless racing mindset have been fantastic.”
Both meets thus far have featured strong performances by many of the team’s youngest members.
“This freshman class brings incredible energy, competitive drive, and immediate high-level talent,” Grevers said. “Seeing Bruno Primerano swim the sixth-fastest 1000 free time in program history during his home debut, Amelia Lee throw down a dominant 100 back, Tori Yamamura claim gold in the 200 fly, Lexi Cook step right into top finishes, and Natálie Zápotocká win the 200 breast speaks volumes.”
“They have elevated the level of competition in our practice lanes every single day, and their fearless approach to racing sets a high bar for the entire roster.”
The first couple of meets have also given members of the senior class, such as Piper McNeil, Kylee Sullivan, Logan Ottke, Quinlan Gould and Matthew Mortenson, a chance to step up and set the standard on the pool deck.
“In our team leaders, we look for consistency, ownership, and genuine care for their teammates,” Grevers said. “It is about how you handle yourself on tough training days, keeping team energy high, holding everyone accountable, and leading by example in every detail.”
Testing the Waters
While the SMU Classic featured just a small group of Tiger swimmers and just one diver each on the men’s and women’s side, the tri-dual presented an opportunity to see the entire team in a whole slew of events. Grevers said early on in the season, this is intentional.
“We want to test versatility, see who steps up in secondary events, and discover line-up combinations that maximize our team points for duals and championship season. It also keeps training fresh and challenges athletes to race outside their primary comfort zones before we settle into fixed championship event profiles,” he said.
Finding breaststrokers, especially on the women’s side, was a focus after the departure/graduation of Zara Zallen and Paige Striley, in particular.
“Filling those relay legs and individual points in the breaststroke events was a major target for us in recruiting. Bringing in a swimmer like Natálie Zápotocká (who brings European Junior Championship experience) has given us an immediate spark and strength in those distance breaststroke and IM events.”
“Pairing new talent with our returning group gives us great depth moving forward,” he said.
Offseason Changes
Over the summer it was announced that head coach Andrew Grevers would move into the Director of Swimming and Diving role, while Alec Hayden was elevated to the role of head coach. When asked about the change and what it means for the program, Grevers said it allows him to oversee the overall vision, roster construction, strategic development, culture and overarching direction of the team. It also props up Hayden, who has shown great dedication to the program and is going into his fifth season with the Tigers. With Hayden’s move, Andrew Sansoucie, with the Tigers as both a four-year swimmer and the last four seasons as a coach, has been promoted to Associate Head Coach.
“This structure allows us to delegate effectively, give targeted attention to every discipline, and operate like a premier championship program,” Grevers said.
“Elevating Alec Hayden to Head Coach was a natural evolution. He has earned the trust of our student-athletes and staff through his tireless work ethic, elite tactical knowledge, and dedication to Mizzou.”
The offseason changes were not limited to changes in titles. Head diving coach Kyle Bogner retired from coaching after seven seasons with the program (and a natty for Collier Dyer), leaving assistant coach Mohab Ishak to take over the duties in the diving well. Assistant Madeline Banic left for an associate head coach position at the University of Nevada, and in her place is now Matt Richmond, who will also act as Director of Operations. Richmond, per my research, is a Wingate University graduate, and previously worked as an assistant coach at Alma College and volunteer assistant at Pitt. Graduate assistant Drayden Bell, an All-American sprint freestyler from the University of Alabama, also joins the Tigers.
In the diving well, there have been some major changes to the Tigers’ roster, but Grevers reported that things are moving in a very positive direction, and the results have mirrored this report thus far. Megan Jolly won both the 1-and 3-meter events at the tri-dual, and freshman Madi Vermillion finished third in the 3-meter.
On the men’s side, Tanner Braunton, Tommaso Zannella and the Colbert brothers, Derek and Deacon, are back, and are joined by Kentucky transfer Miles Buchart. The Tigers swept the men’s 3-meter in the home opener, with Zannella, Braunton and Buchart going 1-2-3, while Braunton and Zannella went 1-2 in the 1-meter.
“On the boards, veterans like Megan Jolly and Tanner Braunton have been absolute anchors for us. We are in a transitional phase as we recruit and establish our new long-term leadership on the boards, but the divers are working extremely hard, supporting each other, and scoring crucial points for the team,” Grevers said.
Besides Buchart on the diving side, the Tigers also welcomed in Nell Cagle, a versatile breaststroke, IM and freestyle transfer from Alabama/Ohio State. Her lifetime best in the 100 breast, a 1:00.88, will be a welcome addition to the Tiger breaststroke squad, which is in need of reinforcements, as mentioned earlier.
When asked about the Tigers’ recruiting pitch for transfers, Grevers said, “Our pitch is centered around opportunity, elite development, and family culture. Mizzou offers world-class facilities at the Mizzou Aquatic Center, top-tier academic and athletic support, and an environment where athletes can reignite their passion and hit new personal bests.”
“When transfers visit, they see a tight-knit team where everyone is pushed to reach their full potential, and that environment sells itself.”
Longterm Goals
When speaking with Grevers at last season’s fall media day, he talked about focusing on using SECs as a springboard to the national championships. When asked to reflect upon how that approach worked out, he said that it worked well for the long-term vision of the program.
“Training and pacing with NCAA qualification and peak performance at the national meet in mind allows our athletes to stay focused on top-tier speed when it matters most. SECs is an incredibly tough conference meet, but using it as a springboard rather than our ultimate destination helped our scoring group at NCAAs.”
“That overarching mindset remains the north star for our top performers again this season,” he reiterated.
The Future
As the Tigers head into the rest of their season, Grevers & Co. have a message for Mizzou Nation.
“We are excited for what lies ahead this season,” he said. “The team is united, working hard, and the atmosphere inside Mizzou Aquatic Center is special. We welcome everyone to come out and support us at our upcoming home meets, including the Mizzou Invite in November!”
