Swim and Dive travels to Missouri, hosts Evansville for Senior Day

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois swimming and diving program is set to close the regular season with a pair of dual meets. The Salukis will first head to Columbia, Mo. to take on the No. 6/20 Missouri men's and women's program on Friday, Jan. 31. Southern will then host conference opponent Evansville on Saturday, Feb. 1 for Senior Day.

Events at the Mizzou Aquatic Center will start at 2 p.m on Friday, while Saturday's events inside Shea Natatorium commence at noon. SIU's 22 seniors will be honored during the course of Saturday's meet.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH HANSON

On facing nationally ranked Missouri…
"I think it's a fantastic opportunity for us to put ourselves up against one of the best teams in the country. We can see where we stack up and it will be great preparation for our conference meet. The whole MVC (Missouri Valley Conference) and MAC (Mid-American Conference) have great top-end talent, so to go up against a team with talent across the board will be a great test for us. We're a confident team and we're going to give it all we got."

On SIU's 22 seniors…
"It's a huge senior class. I don't think I've ever been apart of a class with this many seniors. It's a tribute to them for sticking it out for four years. They went through a coaching change in their senior year, which can be really tough. But they have been very supportive and receptive. I want to do everything I can. One of my goals coming in here was to give them the best senior year they can have."

HISTORY VERSUS MIZZOU AND EVANSVILLE

The Salukis and Tigers have faced off in dual-meet competition a combined 56 times since first meeting in 1972. The men's team holds a career 15-20 record against Mizzou, while the Saluki women are 4-17 all-time. Southern last met the Tigers in a quad meet during the 2016-17 season, where the Salukis lost on both sides.

SIU holds a combined 69-1 career record against Evansville. The two have matched up yearly since 1995. The schools last met at the 2019 SIU Invitational, where the Salukis finished ahead of the Aces on both sides. Last season, Southern rolled to a pair of wins over Evansville on Senior Day.

CONFERENCE RANKINGS

* Salukis in the MVC top-five
Baobao Ji
• 1st - One-meter dive (319.35)
• 2nd - Three-meter dive (330.14)
Beibei Ji
• 1st - Three-meter dive (356.55)
• 2nd - One-meter dive (305.77)
Sierra Forbord
• 2nd - 100-free (51.03)
• 4th - 200-free (1:51.03)
Rita Naude
• 2nd - 100-fly (55.62)
Sarah Vogt
• 3rd - 100-breast (1:03.72)
Samantha Parsons
• 3rd - 200-breast (2:18.21)
Laura Carver
• 4th - 200-IM (2:02.13)
• 4th - 400-IM (4:20.74)
• 5th - 200-breast (2:18.57)
Eden Girloanta
• 4th - 1650-free (17:04.47)
Lucia Romero
• 5th - 100-back (56.21)
Juliana Carvalho
• 5th - 200-back (2:01.11)
Payton Parman
• 5th - 200-fly (2:03.99)

* Salukis in the MAC top-five
Kai Hoffmann-Dussome
• 1st - One-meter dive (351.00)
• 1st - Three-meter dive (345.00)
Adam Cernek
• 1st - 100-back (48.35)
• 1st - 200-back (1:45.02)
• 2nd - 200-IM (1:48.68)
Eli Mercado
• 2nd - Three-meter dive (308.92)
Ian Marshall
• 3rd - 400-IM (3:59.12)
Chris Phillips
• 4th - 200-breast (2:01.34)
• 4th - 400-IM (4:00.73)
Zheng Yang Yeap
• 4th - 200-free (1:39.43)
• 5th - 1650-free (15:51.30)
Kevin Kluge
• 4th - 1000-free (9:31.66)
Jimmy Dooley
• 5th - 200-breast (2:03.75)
Kyle Campbell
• 5th - Three-meter dive (275.17)
Tamas Hajtman
• 5th - 50-free (20.74)

LAST TIME OUT

The Saluki women defeated Indiana State 165-135 last Saturday (1/25) for their second-straight MVC victory. Southern won 10 of 16 events over the Sycamores, who had won six of their last seven meets. Swimmers Sierra Forbord and Laura Carver each tabbed a team-best two first-place finishes to lead SIU.

The men's team last competed on Jan. 18 against Henderson State. The result was a 126-79 win for the Salukis. Swimmers Kevin Kluge and Adam Cernek combined for four of SIU's nine individual event victories.

NEWCOMERS IMPRESSING

Swimmers Adam Cernek and Ian Marshall have impressed as newcomers for the men's team. Cernek has won a team-best 13 events and swam a school record and NCAA "B"cut time of 1:45.02 in the 200-yard backstroke at the SIU Invite (11/16). He currently holds top-30 marks among Division I Mid-Major schools in the 100-yard backstroke (26th) and 200-back (11th). Marshall has compiled three victories and 11 top-five finishes in just five meets. His time of 3:39.12 in 400-yard individual medley ranks third in the MAC.

A pair of newcomers have strengthened a Saluki women's squad looking to claim its first conference title since 2016. Forbord, a junior transfer from Colorado Mesa, has become the top sprinter for SIU with top-five MVC times in the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle. She holds 12 individual wins on the season and her lowest placing in an event is third. Freshman Sarah Vogt has impressed in breast events, as she has combined for 10 top-three finishes in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke. Her top mark of 1:03.72 in the 100-breast ranks third in the Valley.

DOMINATING THE CONFERENCE

The women's team is off to an impressive 4-1 start in the MVC with victories over Valparaiso (206-54.5), Illinois State (187-113), Little Rock (177-66) and Indiana State (165-135). SIU has won by an average of 91 points in its four conference wins. The Salukis also bested the Aces with a first-place performance at the SIU Invitational. SIU's only loss came to Missouri State, 111-132, in a road dual meet in November.

CONFERENCE HONORS

The Salukis continue to rack weekly conference honors after grabbing six in the first half of the season. Kevin Kluge and Beibei Ji are the latest to receive the honor through two weeks of competition in 2020. Cernek, Ji and Laura Carver lead SIU with a team-high two weekly honors each.

1/28/20 – Beibei Ji – MVC Diver of the Week (10th of career)
1/22/20 – Kevin Kluge – MAC Swimmer of the Week (1st of career)
11/21/19 – Adam Cernek – MAC Swimmer of the Week (2nd of career)
11/19/19 – Beibei Ji – MVC Diver of the Week (9th of career)
11/19/19 – Laura Carver – MVC Swimmer of the Week (2nd of career)
10/8/19 – Baobao Ji - MVC Diver of the Week (3rd of career)
10/9/19 – Adam Cernek - MAC Swimmer of the Week (1st of career)
10/15/19 – Laura Carver - MVC Swimmer of the Week (1st of career)

FOLLOW THE ACTION

For the latest updates on the Salukis this weekend, follow the team on Twitter @SIU_SwimDive, on Instagram @SIUSwimAndDive and on Facebook at Saluki Swimming and Diving.

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