Discover the Dynamic World of Southern Illinois Salukis Athletics

TERRE HAUTE, IN. — The Southern Illinois swimming and diving squads resumed competition Friday afternoon after more than a month hiatus. Competing in Terre Haute, Indiana, both the men’s and women’s teams emerged victorious. The men’s squad triumphed over UIndy 155-142 and Ball State 198-96. In contrast, the women’s team bested Indiana State 153-147 and UIndy 215.5-84.5.

“We were exceedingly satisfied with the resilience the team exhibited today,” states head coach Geoff Hanson. “Approaching the conclusion of our largest training phase of the year during the winter recess, and disembarking the bus after a four-hour snowy journey, it could have been convenient to make justifications. However, that’s not the ethos of this team, and they demonstrated it today. We’re back to work tomorrow with ambitious objectives! Go Dawgs!”

 

Analyzing the Results

 
The Sequence of Events 
The day commenced with a gold medal for the Salukis, who clinched first place in the women’s 200-yard medley relay, thanks to the team of Pulido, Herron, Hernandez, and Bea Padron; only two slots behind them was another Saluki squad, consisting of Liseska Gallegos Gutierrez, Madalyn Booker, Jasmine Rau, and Masha Zhukova.
 
On the men’s side competing in the 200-yard medley relay, Santiago, Willem Huggins, Tiago Faleiros, and Donat Csuvarszki took the top honors, while Alex Cimera, Benedek Andor, Nicolas Lanuza, and Aj Terry secured the third position in the same race.
 
Transitioning to individual competitions, the Salukis secured another medal with Fernanda Sánchez finishing third in the women’s 1000-yard freestyle; Joshua Aceves claimed second on the men’s 1000-yard freestyle podium. SIU then regained the lead with Hernandez’s time of 1:51.29 in the women’s 200-yard freestyle. In the men’s 200-yard freestyle, two Salukis made the top three, with Juraj Barcot placing second and Cimera taking third.
 
Two additional SIU swimmers garnered medals in the women’s 100-yard backstroke, with Pulido and Gutierrez finishing first and second, respectively. Huggins attained the second spot in the men’s 100-yard backstroke. Herron and Ali Robertson were the top two competitors in the women’s 100-yard breaststroke; Herron’s time of 1:02.80 was only just over a second shy of meeting the NCAA’s “B” qualifier standard.

After some time away from the podium, Zaria Terry marked her return for SIU by tying for third in the women’s 50-yard free. Santiago and Csuvarszki occupied the ends of the men’s podium in the 50-yard free, with Santiago winning and Csuvarszki coming in third.

 

In the afternoon’s initial diving event, the women’s one-meter dive, Farida Moussa achieved the silver medal, and Corrin Williams secured bronze. The men’s three-meter dive had Oliver Mebs finishing first while AJ Stone placed third.

 

Hernandez brought home another gold medal in the 100-yard freestyle with her finish of 51.33. Simultaneously, the men’s team excelled in the 100-yard freestyle, with Santiago, Cimera, and Csuvarszki finishing first, second, and third, respectively.

The Salukis completed another podium sweep in the women’s 200-yard backstroke, attributed to the performances of Pulido, Gutierrez, and Tia Jankovics. Following that, Huggins excelled in the men’s 200-yard backstroke, placing first.

 

Another gold medal was awarded to Herron for her 2:16.12 performance in the 200-yard breaststroke, while Henrique Pacheco Januario earned his first medal of the day in the men’s 200-yard breaststroke. Aceves then made a return to the podium after finishing third in the 500-yard freestyle.

 

Padron led all swimmers in the 100-yard butterfly, concluding the race in 55.85. Back to diving, Moussa finished third in the three-meter dive, while Lucas Lauzon and Mebs emerged victorious in the one-meter dive, finishing first and second, respectively.

 

Herron wrapped up her day by claiming another gold medal in the women’s 200-yard IM, and Andor took home the gold on the men’s side; Januario finished third in the same race.

 

The event concluded with the 400-yard free relay. For the women’s category, SIU’s quartet of Padron, Hernandez, Pulido, and Zaria Terry clinched first place. Subsequently, the men’s team comprising Huggins, Csuvarszki, Santiago, and A.J. Terry conquered the men’s race.

 

Looking Ahead 

The Salukis will travel to Little Rock, Arkansas, in a week’s time to compete against Little Rock and Henderson State. The commencement of the event is slated for 1:30 p.m.

 

Follow the Salukis

Stay updated with all the latest news and details concerning the Salukis by following the team on X at @SIU_SwimDive, on Instagram at @SIU_Swimdive, and on Facebook at facebook.com/SIUSwimDive. Fans can also download the “Salukis” Mobile App from the App Store or the Google Play Store.