Southern Illinoise University Athletics
SIU's Swimming and Diving Expand Staff and Teams
03/14/2001 | 12:00:00 | Swimming & Diving
August 28, 2000
Carbondale, Ill. -
Southern Illinois University Carbondale's women's and men's swimming and diving teams have new editions to their coaching staffs this season.
Aaron Hawks joins the Salukis' women's swim team from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. where he was the assistant women's coach. The new men's and women's diving coach, Donald Torres, joins SIU from Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill., where he was the head coach.
The saluki diving team is returning three experienced divers. Torres has signed a senior zone qualifier and recruiting two new divers to make a total of six.
The women's team is returning eight seniors, two new recruits, and one transfer student in anticipation of a strong season. Head coach Jeff Goelz has stepped up after six years as assitant with the Salukis. He assisted the men to five consecutive conferene crowns and helped lead the women's squad to its third in a row in 2000.
The men's team lost 13 seniors, but have been bolstered by its largest recruiting class ever with eight new freshman. However, youth will be accompanied by experience with three returning conference champions and Cypress Olympic team member Chris Papachrysanthou. Head coach Rick Walker and assistant coach Sean Weddell are both returning.
Both teams start their seasons with an open water meet at Little Grassy Lake in Carbondale. The pool season opens for men and women at Drury College in Springfield, Mo., on Oct. 7. The women host their first home meet Oct. 19 against Illinois, while the men's first home meet is Nov. 11 against Evansville. The season then heats up with the men1s team traveling to Chicago, Ill. to compete in the Northwestern Invite and the women's team to Bloomington, Ind. to compete in the Indiana Invite.
For the 19th consecutive semester the Southern Illinois University Carbondale women's swimming and diving team has been named a College Swimming Coaches Association of America's (CSCAA) Academic All-American Team, ranking 19th in the country with a team grade point average of 3.229.
The CSCAA presents its Academic All-American team honors each semester, naming schools who hold team GPAs of 3.0 or higher. Manhattan College was the highest finisher with a team GPA of 3.41.
"We have been a fixture on CSCAA's Academic All-American list for the past 19 semesters and receiving this honor is a good way to finish up a year," said head coach Mark Kluemper. "This a real good group of young women who make it a priority to work hard in the pool and also do so in the classroom. It is pretty impressive when you have a whole team that is successful at both."
The Salukis were the top finishers among Missouri Valley Conference schools and second in the state of Illinois, placing one spot behind Northwestern (3.23).
A list of the top-20 teams on CSCAA Academic All-American list follows:
1. Manhattan College 3.41
2. Univ. at Buffalo 3.397
3. Washington St. 3.39
4. Xavier 3.38
5. Univ. of Denver 3.369
6. Georgetown 3.361
7. Saint Louis Univ. 3.35
8. Western Kentucky 3.317
9. Purdue 3.31
Duquesne 3.31
11. Tennessee 3.30
12. Davidson College 3.265
13. Brown Univ. 3.26
Darthmouth 3.26
15. Michigan St. 3.246
16. Louisville 3.242
17. Eastern Michigan 3.24
18. Northwestern Univ. 3.23
19. Southern Illinois 3.229
20. UW-Milwaukee 3.22
