Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Salukis to face steep competition in quad meet at Missouri
11/06/2015 | 12:00:00 | Swimming & Diving
By Elizabeth Robinson
SIUSalukis.com
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Saluki men's and women's swimming and diving teams are set to take on tough competitors this weekend in a two-day quad meet against Missouri, Kentucky and Northwestern. The first half of the meet will begin Friday at 5 p.m., starting off with the 200-yard freestyle relay and will conclude with the 400-yard medley relay. Saturday's action will begin at 10 a.m.
SIU's women enter the competition coming off a strong performance in the team's home meet last weekend where the Salukis topped conference rival Illinois State, 200-96, and just barely fell to Illinois, 166-134. SIU topped Illinois State in all but three events, and earned eight wins over the Fighting Illini.
As for the men, the Salukis have had time off from competition following a narrow loss to Missouri State a few weeks ago. The team participated in time trials during last week's women's double dual, however, preparing them for this weekend's meet.
"I think we come into this with some legitimate confidence on the women's side having competed very well against Illinois and Illinois State and doing well," head coach Rick Walker said. "Even though the men haven't had a meet, doing time trials during the meet was kind of a meet setting, so at least they haven't been sitting out."
The Salukis will take on major Division I teams this weekend, including host school Missouri, whose men's team ranks 15th in the most recent College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Division I poll. The women's team comes in at No. 21. The Kentucky women, though not ranked in the CSCAA top-25 received four votes in the coaches' poll, while the men received nine. Missouri, Kentucky and SIU's men's and women's teams will compete, while Northwestern will only have a men's team present.
"Missouri and Kentucky are very good programs, and what I hope we do is step up with confidence and compete, not be afraid of who's this, who's that, and do what we've always done, which is take care of what we can control, do the best we can do, and at the end of the day we'll add up what we've got against what they've got and we'll see where it falls," Walker said.
Though not ranked as a team, the Salukis have several individuals and relay teams that rank in the top-100 in the nation.
| Women's National Rankings | |||
| 500 Free | Bryn Handley | 80th | 4:57.36 |
| 1,000 Free | Bryn Handley | 25th | 10:02.91 |
| 1,000 Free | Kelsie Walker | 79th | 10:14.58 |
| 400 Freestyle Relay | Avery, Walker, Stockton, B. Handley | 71st | 3:30.71 |
| 400 Medley Relay | James, Tatigian, Ott, Avery | 78th | 3:56.71 |
| Men's National Rankings | |||
| 200 Free | Till Pallmann | 63rd | 1:39.83 |
| 500 Free | Till Pallmann | 74th | 4:34.10 |
| 200 Freestyle Relay | Saavedra, Case, Crawford, de Aquino | 75th | 1:27.64 |
| 400 Freestyle Relay | Pallmann, Brilhante, Seguine-Hall, Saavedra | 76th | 3:09.57 |
| 400 Medley Relay | Facciotti, Wood, de Aquino, Pallmann | 29th | 3:25.39 |
Order of Events
Friday, Nov. 6
200 Free Relay
Women's 3-Meter Diving
200 IM
Men's 1-Meter Diving
500 Free
100 Breast
200 Back
100 Free
200 Fly
400 Medley Relay
Saturday, Nov. 7
200 Medley Relay
Women's 1-Meter Diving
1000 Free
Men's 3-Meter Diving
50 Free
100 Back
200 Breast
100 Fly
200 Free
400 IM
400 Free Relay
Following this weekend, the Salukis will take a week off before heading to Indiana for the Purdue Invitational beginning Friday, Nov. 20.
Players Mentioned
