
Swimming and Diving sweeps two tri-meets on the road
10/21/2017 | 10:46:00 | Swimming & Diving
The Southern Illinois Men's and Women's swimming and diving teams both pulled off sweeps in today's tri-meet against Truman State and McKendree. The women defeated McKendree 228-74 and Truman State 238-70. On the men's side, the Salukis beat Truman State 158-130 and McKendree 161-134.
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The Salukis were dominant in the pool all day, but perhaps where the team was most successful was in the diving portion of the meet. Southern's divers won all four events and logged five scores that place Salukis inside the top-50 in the nation.
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On the Men's side, sophomore Eli Mercado set personal bests in both the one and three-meter dive. In the three-meter, Mercado's score of 345.52 gave him a 159.75-point victory over McKendree's Thad Zuber. The score is currently the 43rd best in the NCAA.
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On the women's side in the three-meter, three of Southern's four divers set new personal bests. Beibei ji won the event with a score of 315.38, her twin sister, Baobao Ji was second with a score of 307.65. Beibei's score currently ranks 26th in the nation and Baobao's is 34th in the NCAA. Rachel Williams was third with a score of 269.01 and Lani Cieszynski was fourth with a 224.02, a new personal best for the sophomore.
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In the one-meter dive, the Salukis were just as successful. Mercado's score of 340.27 is good for 33rd in the NCAA and was personal best. On the Women's side, Beibei Ji and Williams both set personal bests with their 1-2 finish. Beibei's score of 299.77 is currently 20th in the nation and Williams 276.45 beat her previous personal best by 14.4 points. Baobao Ji was third and Cieszynski was fourth.
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In the pool, Southern's women enjoyed a very successful day thanks in part to senior Bryn Handley and sophomores Sam Parsons and Rita Naude. Handley swept all four of the events she competed in. On an individual basis, Handley won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 150.94, nearly four seconds faster that Southern's previous best 200-yard freestyle time this season. Junior Jordan Ries was third in the race. She was also first in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:56.74. Southern's senior, Nicole Fuller, was second with a time of 5:12.09.
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Handley also helped two relay teams to victories. In the 400-yard freestyle relay, the team of Handley, Ries, senior McKenna Avery and sophomore Maggie Burke were first with a time of 3:34.70. The team of Naude, Fuller, senior Kelsie Walker and senior Chandler Ott were second in the race. In the 200-yard medley relay, the team of Handley, Naude, Parsons and junior Emma Brazeau were first with a time of 1:48.85. The team of Avery, Â Carvalho, junior Abby Kresal and freshman Abbie Young took third in the race.
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The Salukis dominated the breaststroke events on the women's side. Parsons, Kresal and sophomore Laura Carver swept the top-three spots in both races. In the 100-yard breaskstroke, Parsons took first with a time of 1:07.50, Carver and Kresal were second and third respectively. In the 200-yard breaststroke, Parsons took first yet again with a time of 2:24.33. Carver and Kresal were second and third respectively again.
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In the 400-yard IM, Carver took second with a time of 4:31.10. Parsons was third in the race.
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For Naude, she added to her first and second place finishes in the 400-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay with a first and second in individual races. Naude won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 58.56. In the 100-yard butterfly, junior Emma Brazeau was first with a time of 57.66, Nuade was not far behind her in second, just four one-hundredths of a second slower.
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In the women's 1000-yard freestyle, Walker notched her first victory of the season with a time of 10:31.69. Fuller was second in the race.
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Junior Audrey Snyder earned Southern a victory in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:05.64 for the fastest Saluki time in the event this season.
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Carvalho had a solid day for the Salukis as well. She won the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:05.10 to beat the previous best Saluki time of the season by two seconds.
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On the men's side, freshman Sam Drew continued a strong start to his Saluki career with two victories in the breaststroke. Drew's time of 57.96 earned him his first victory of his young career. Sophomore Chris Phillips and freshman Kyle Berquist rounded out the top-three for Southern. In the 200-yard breaststroke, Drew swam the event in 2:06.02 for the fastest Saluki time of the season by more than four seconds. Phillips and Berquist were first and second to round out the top-three for Southern in both breaststrokes.
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Drew also helped the Salukis to a win in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of Drew, Phillips, senior Alex Crawford and sophomore Benson Jones swam the race in a time of 1:35.68 for the 106th fastest time in the NCAA this season.
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Crawford also earned two wins in the meet. The first came in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:51.17 besting his previous time of 1:52.77 for a new season-best for Southern. The Saluki senior's time in the race is currently 107th in the NCAA.
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Crawford was also first in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 51.50. Sophomore Ryan Lehane was third in race with a time of 52.83. Crawford helped Southern to a third place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The team of Crawford, Jones, junior Reilly Garman and senior Michael Wolfe swam the race in a time of 3:11.09. It is the fastest time in the race for Southern this season. Southern's time ranks 97th in the NCAA this season.
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In the 1,000-yard freestyle, junior Chris Cole set a new fastest time for Southern with a time of 9:33.83 for his first event win of the year. Sophomore Kevin Kluge was second in the race with a time of 9:35.93. Cole was third in the 500-yard freestyle relay with a time of 4:42.15. He also logged a second place finish in the 200-yard IM with a time of 4:07.04.
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Senior Michael Wolfe returned to competitive action in the meet. He took fifth place in the 400-yard freestyle. Wolfe has been rehabbing an injury throughout the early part of the season.
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Southern will be back in action next weekend when the Saluki women's team take on Illinois and Illinois State on Saturday. The men will be back in action on November third when both teams host Kentucky, Missouri and Northwestern at home.
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The Salukis were dominant in the pool all day, but perhaps where the team was most successful was in the diving portion of the meet. Southern's divers won all four events and logged five scores that place Salukis inside the top-50 in the nation.
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On the Men's side, sophomore Eli Mercado set personal bests in both the one and three-meter dive. In the three-meter, Mercado's score of 345.52 gave him a 159.75-point victory over McKendree's Thad Zuber. The score is currently the 43rd best in the NCAA.
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On the women's side in the three-meter, three of Southern's four divers set new personal bests. Beibei ji won the event with a score of 315.38, her twin sister, Baobao Ji was second with a score of 307.65. Beibei's score currently ranks 26th in the nation and Baobao's is 34th in the NCAA. Rachel Williams was third with a score of 269.01 and Lani Cieszynski was fourth with a 224.02, a new personal best for the sophomore.
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In the one-meter dive, the Salukis were just as successful. Mercado's score of 340.27 is good for 33rd in the NCAA and was personal best. On the Women's side, Beibei Ji and Williams both set personal bests with their 1-2 finish. Beibei's score of 299.77 is currently 20th in the nation and Williams 276.45 beat her previous personal best by 14.4 points. Baobao Ji was third and Cieszynski was fourth.
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In the pool, Southern's women enjoyed a very successful day thanks in part to senior Bryn Handley and sophomores Sam Parsons and Rita Naude. Handley swept all four of the events she competed in. On an individual basis, Handley won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 150.94, nearly four seconds faster that Southern's previous best 200-yard freestyle time this season. Junior Jordan Ries was third in the race. She was also first in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:56.74. Southern's senior, Nicole Fuller, was second with a time of 5:12.09.
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Handley also helped two relay teams to victories. In the 400-yard freestyle relay, the team of Handley, Ries, senior McKenna Avery and sophomore Maggie Burke were first with a time of 3:34.70. The team of Naude, Fuller, senior Kelsie Walker and senior Chandler Ott were second in the race. In the 200-yard medley relay, the team of Handley, Naude, Parsons and junior Emma Brazeau were first with a time of 1:48.85. The team of Avery, Â Carvalho, junior Abby Kresal and freshman Abbie Young took third in the race.
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The Salukis dominated the breaststroke events on the women's side. Parsons, Kresal and sophomore Laura Carver swept the top-three spots in both races. In the 100-yard breaskstroke, Parsons took first with a time of 1:07.50, Carver and Kresal were second and third respectively. In the 200-yard breaststroke, Parsons took first yet again with a time of 2:24.33. Carver and Kresal were second and third respectively again.
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In the 400-yard IM, Carver took second with a time of 4:31.10. Parsons was third in the race.
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For Naude, she added to her first and second place finishes in the 400-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay with a first and second in individual races. Naude won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 58.56. In the 100-yard butterfly, junior Emma Brazeau was first with a time of 57.66, Nuade was not far behind her in second, just four one-hundredths of a second slower.
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In the women's 1000-yard freestyle, Walker notched her first victory of the season with a time of 10:31.69. Fuller was second in the race.
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Junior Audrey Snyder earned Southern a victory in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:05.64 for the fastest Saluki time in the event this season.
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Carvalho had a solid day for the Salukis as well. She won the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:05.10 to beat the previous best Saluki time of the season by two seconds.
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On the men's side, freshman Sam Drew continued a strong start to his Saluki career with two victories in the breaststroke. Drew's time of 57.96 earned him his first victory of his young career. Sophomore Chris Phillips and freshman Kyle Berquist rounded out the top-three for Southern. In the 200-yard breaststroke, Drew swam the event in 2:06.02 for the fastest Saluki time of the season by more than four seconds. Phillips and Berquist were first and second to round out the top-three for Southern in both breaststrokes.
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Drew also helped the Salukis to a win in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of Drew, Phillips, senior Alex Crawford and sophomore Benson Jones swam the race in a time of 1:35.68 for the 106th fastest time in the NCAA this season.
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Crawford also earned two wins in the meet. The first came in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:51.17 besting his previous time of 1:52.77 for a new season-best for Southern. The Saluki senior's time in the race is currently 107th in the NCAA.
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Crawford was also first in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 51.50. Sophomore Ryan Lehane was third in race with a time of 52.83. Crawford helped Southern to a third place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The team of Crawford, Jones, junior Reilly Garman and senior Michael Wolfe swam the race in a time of 3:11.09. It is the fastest time in the race for Southern this season. Southern's time ranks 97th in the NCAA this season.
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In the 1,000-yard freestyle, junior Chris Cole set a new fastest time for Southern with a time of 9:33.83 for his first event win of the year. Sophomore Kevin Kluge was second in the race with a time of 9:35.93. Cole was third in the 500-yard freestyle relay with a time of 4:42.15. He also logged a second place finish in the 200-yard IM with a time of 4:07.04.
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Senior Michael Wolfe returned to competitive action in the meet. He took fifth place in the 400-yard freestyle. Wolfe has been rehabbing an injury throughout the early part of the season.
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Southern will be back in action next weekend when the Saluki women's team take on Illinois and Illinois State on Saturday. The men will be back in action on November third when both teams host Kentucky, Missouri and Northwestern at home.
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Players Mentioned
9.14.25 | Saluki Radio Postgame at UT Martin - Colin Bohanek
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9.14.25 | Saluki Radio Postgame at UT Martin - DJ Williams
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9.14.25 | Saluki Radio Postgame at UT Martin - Nick Hill
Sunday, September 14
Saluki Radio Football Broadcast - at UT Martin
Sunday, September 14