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Summer Juniors qualifier Elias Mendez is set to compete for Missouri State University beginning in the fall of 2026.
“I’m excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Missouri State University! Huge thanks to my family, coaches, and friends for the support. Thank you to Coach Dave and Coach Chelsea for this great opportunity! GO BEARS!!”
A senior at Stillwater High School, the Oklahoma native has been a member of his school’s varsity swimming and diving team since his freshman year. In addition to competing at the high school level, Mendez also currently trains year-round with King Marlin Swim Club, where he excels at freestyle, backstroke and IM, as well as some breaststroke.
Mendez made significant strides in his top events last season. At the KMS Pro-Am Classic in December, he posted a series of lifetime best times and earned a second swim in all of his individual races. Mendez placed 2nd in the 400 IM (4:01.34), 4th in both the 100 back (51.26) and 200 back (1:50.97), 6th in the 200 IM (1:54.81) and 18th in the 200 fly (1:56.63), clocking personal best times in each event. He also helped his team to a 3rd-place finish in the 200 free relay and a 4th-place finish in the 400 medley relay.
Mendez continued to improve at the Columbia Sections in March, earning a second swim in each of his events. He placed 10th in the 400 IM (3:58.80 – PB), 11th in the 200 back (1:49.32 – PB), 19th in the 100 back (51.33) and 19th in the 200 IM (1:54.09). He also clocked a season-best time in the 100 free (49.18).
Mendez is currently the defending Oklahoma high school state champion in the 200 IM. At the 2025 OSSAA 6A State Championships in February, Mendez won the 200 IM in a lifetime best time of 1:53.39. He also snagged the runner-up spot in the 100 back in a personal best time of 50.75 and logged a new best time in the 50 back (23.77) as the leadoff on the 200 medley relay.
Over the summer, Mendez competed at the Futures Championships (LCM) in Justin, where he posted a number of top performances. He was the runner-up in the 200 back in 2:05.87, marking a new lifetime best and a Winter Juniors qualifying time. He also placed 6th in the 400 IM (4:39.73) after setting a best time of 4:39.48 during prelims, 7th in the 200 IM (2:10.72 – PB) and 12th in the 100 back (59.35 – PB).
Best Times SCY
100 free – 48.95 200 free – 1:45.25 100 back – 50.75 200 back – 1:49.32 100 breast – 58.68 200 IM – 1:53.39 400 IM – 3:58.80A Division I Mid-Major program, Missouri State competes in the Missouri Valley Conference, where the men’s team placed 3rd overall at last season’s conference championships. To earn a second swim at the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championships, it took times of 49.75/1:49.07 in the 100/200 back, 56.76 in the 100 breast, 1:51.13/4:06.59 in the 200/400 IM. Mendez would have landed in the ‘B’ final in the 400 IM and would have been just outside the cutoff in many of his other top events, setting him up to score some points right from the start.
Mendez is one of the top recruits in Oklahoma from the high school class of 2026, as he is currently ranked 2nd in the state, according to Swimcloud. His dad, Jesse Perez Mendez, is the provost and executive vice president at Kansas State University.
Currently set to join Mendez in Springfield next fall is Reece Pangburn from Tulsa, OK. Specializing primarily in the shorter distances of fly, back and breast, Pangburn should make for a strong training partner over the next four years.
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