Highlights from Day Two of the MVC Swimming & Diving Championships
Honors & Awards
• 2012-13 All-MVC First Team
• 2012-13 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team
• 2011-12 All-MVC First Team
• 2011-12 MSU Female Freshman Swimmer of the Year
• MVC Swimmer of the Week - Nov. 16, 2011
• MSU Athletics Director's Honor Roll - Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010
2012-13: Selected to the All-MVC First Team for the second year in a row...Swam the butterfly leg on both of the Bears' gold medal medley relays; new Missouri State and MVC record holder in the 200 medley relay (1:42.03)...Won the 200 IM consolation final with a time nearly two seconds faster than prelims (2:06.62) on Day 1 of the MVC Championships...Posted a career best in the 100 fly championship finals (55.67) and collected a runner-up finish in the event...Finished sixth overall in the 200 fly for her second individual A-Final appearance of the conference meet...Made the A-Final in the 200 fly at the Purdue Invitational, finishing eighth overall...Finished the season among the Bears' top-five swimmers in the 100 fly (1st), 200 fly (3rd), 200 IM (3rd) and 400 IM (5th)...One of seven Bears named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team.
2011-12: Named 2012 MSU Female Freshman Swimmer of the Year...Earned All-MVC first team honors...Collected two gold medals as a member of the 200 and 400 medley relays at the 2012 MVC Championships...Captured an individual gold in the 100 fly (56.00), edging out SIU's Isabela Castro by .10 seconds...Was one of six MSU swimmers in the A-Final of the 200 IM at conference; finished seventh...Placed second and medaled in the 200 fly at the conference championships; also rewrote the Missouri State record with her time of 2:01.78...Garnered MVC Swimmer of the Week honors on Nov. 16 following her performance against 15th-ranked Missouri; claimed the only MSU women's victory over the Tigers in the 200 fly and set a new pool record in the event (2:04.59)...During the dual-meet schedule, she won the 200 fly on two separate occasions: vs. Missouri and vs. Evansville...Also collected wins in the 200 breast against William Jewell and the 400 IM at Lindenwood...In her MSU debut, she captured the 150 fly title at the Show-Me Showdown.
2010-11: Due to NCAA eligibility requirements, Balzam trained with the team, but was unable to compete.
Background: Balzam was a member of the Israeli women's national team...At the 2010 Israeli Winter Nationals, she placed third in the 200-meter fly and won silver in the 400-meter IM...In 2009, she medaled at the Maccabiah Game, which is the third largest international sports competition in the world; She won a silver medal in the 400-meter IM and scored a bronze in the 200 fly.
Personal: Roni Balzam was born on May 13, 1990 in Haifa, Israel. She is the daughter of Amir and Dalit Balzam. She has two siblings, Gal and Hadar. She is a biochemistry major.
