Salukis set personal, season bests in day one of Saluki Invite

Calendar

Oct 3

4 PM / 10 AM

Swimming & Diving

Missouri State

Oct 10

3 PM

Swimming & Diving

UIC

Oct 11

11 AM

Swimming & Diving

Northwestern/Miami (OH)

Oct 24

5 PM / 11 AM

Swimming & Diving

Illinois/Illinois State (Women)

Nov 13

Swimming & Diving

A3 Performance Invite

Nov 20

Swimming & Diving

Missouri

Jan 9

2 PM

Swimming & Diving

Purdue (Men)

Jan 10

1 PM

Swimming & Diving

Indiana State/Evansville

The Saluki swimming and diving team tested itself against some of the best competition in the nation in the opening day of the Saluki Invite. The Salukis set nine season bests and won the women's three-meter dive, but trail Kentucky, Missouri and Northwestern on both the men's and women's side of the meet.

The Saluki divers continued what has been a great start to the season with a win in the women's three-meter dive. Sophomore diver Beibei Ji won the event with a score of 309.50 to out duel divers from Missouri and Northwestern, two programs that are both ranked inside of Collegeswimming.com's top-50. Beibei outperformed two NCAA Championship qualifiers in Missouri's senior, Alexa Beckwith and Kentucky's junior, Courtney Clark. Sophomore Baobao Ji finished third and senior Rachel Williams was sixth.

In the men's one-meter dive, sophomore Eli Mercado finished fifth with a score of 295.05. Notably, sophomore Kai Hoffman-Dussome was eighth with a score of 268.70 in his first meet of the year. Hoffman, who was the Mid-American Conference Freshman Diver of the Year in 2016-17, has been rehabbing an injury this season.

In the pool, senior swimmer Bryn Handley had the best performance. Handley finished third behind Kentucky's junior Geena Freriks and sophomore Ali Galyer in the 500-yard freestyle. She swam the event in 4:52.72 to improve upon her previous 500-freestyle time which was already the fastest in the Missouri Valley Conference. Her time is currently the 48^th fastest in the NCAA. It is worth noting that Handley defeated Missouri's senior, Kira Zubar, who qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 500-yard freestyle in 2016-17.

On the men's side of the 500-yard freestyle, senior Michael Wolfe continued his comeback from an early season injury by turning in a new fastest time of 4:35.81 for a sixth place finish. Wolfe's time is currently the best in the MAC.

In the men's 100-yard freestyle, junior Reilly Garman beat his own best time at SIU this season by more than a second with a time of 46.84. He tied for ninth in the race with Northwestern's freshman Peter Lewczyk.

Garman also anchored Southern's 400-yard medley relay team of senior Alex Crawford, freshman Sam Drew and junior Alex Netzel. The team set a new best time in the 400-yard medley relay by more than a second and a half.

As for Drew, he continued a strong start to his Saluki career with a sixth place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 57.89 to improve on his team and personal best time. He also had a 10^th place finish in the men's 200-yard IM. He improved upon his personal best in the event with a time of 1:56.41; it is now the fastest Saluki time in the race this season.

On the women's side of the 400-medley relay, the team of sophomores Rita Naude, Sam Parsons, freshman Abbie Young and senior McKenna Avery finished fifth while setting a new fastest time in the race for the Salukis this season by more than two seconds with a time of 3:55.31. The women also had a strong performance in the 200-freestyle relay. The team of Naude, Young, Avery and senior Chandler Ott finished third with a time of 1:36.55 to beat the previous best by more than a second.

In the men's 200-yard butterfly, junior Chris Cole posted a new season best for SIU with a time of 1:56.58. He finished 11^th in the race.

Southern will be back in action tomorrow for the conclusion of the Saluki Invite at 9 a.m.

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