Carbondale, Ill. – The 2025-26 season is right here for Southern Illinois swim and dive, who start their marketing campaign with a two-day meet at Missouri State this Friday and Saturday.
“We are looking forward to getting the dual meet season underway Friday and Saturday at Missouri State,” says head coach
Geoff Hanson. “Even though they have left the MVC, they have been a traditional rival for decades and we will keep that going this weekend. We have a lot to learn about this year’s Saluki team, with a large group of newcomers. Many of our returners will take on different roles than in past seasons as well. We are excited about the challenge of beginning the new season.”
Details -What: Swim and Dive at Missouri State
-Date: October 3 / October 4
-Time: 4 p.m. / 10 a.m.
-Location: Hammons Center, Springfield, Missouri
-Opponent: Missouri State Bears
-Live Results: MeetMobile App
Last Season Southern is coming off one other profitable season within the pool. In twin meets, the lads’s squad completed 5-2 whereas the ladies compiled a 10-1 document. And on the Missouri Valley Conference championships, each the lads’s and girls’s groups completed as runner-up.
As for particular person success, 27 Salukis earned spots on the All-MVC lists, with 18 being named All-MVC Scholar Athletes. Meanwhile, three swimmers made their option to the NCAA Championships.
Alex Santiago was the lone male to make the massive stage, and earned himself the title of MVC Men’s Swimmer of the Year. On the ladies’s facet,
Celia Pulido was named MVC Women’s Swimmer of the Year whereas additionally changing into a First-Team All-American within the 100-yard backstroke.
Olivia Herron was the opposite NCAA Championship participant for the Salukis, and was named Second-Team All-American within the 200-yard breaststroke. Herron additionally was named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Key Returners Several key performers from final season are again in maroon this season. Of the three NCAA Championship qualifiers, Herron is the lone returning, prepared for her senior 12 months. However, Pulido can also be returning to the crew, albeit on the teaching workers as a graduate assistant. In addition to Herron, seven All-Conference members are returning to the ladies’s squad, together with reigning MVC Women’s Freshman Swimmer of the Year,
Liseska Gallegos Gutierrez.
On the lads’s facet, 10 All-Conference members are again on the roster. Highlights embrace the MVC Men’s Freshman Diver of the Year,
Lucas Lauzon, and the MVC Elite 18 Award winner,
Alex Cimera.
Captains this 12 months for the Salukis embrace Cimera,
Brooklyn Anderson,
Bea Padron,
Sam Vega,
Audrey Leno, and
Tiago Faleiros.
Impactful Newcomers Bolstering the returners is a powerful group of newcomers.
In the switch portal, the Salukis picked up
Nikolas Kosta from UNCW and
Carter Ruthven from Kentucky. As for freshmen, 14 collegiate newcomers are set to make their collegiate debuts.
Follow the Salukis Keep up with all the most recent information and knowledge on the swim and dive groups by following the them on X at
@SIU_SwimDive, on Instagram at
@siu_swimdive, and on Facebook at
facebook.com/SIUSwimDive. Fans also can obtain the “
Salukis” Mobile App on the
App Store or
Google Play Store.