Southern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University
Salukis set to host Eastern Illinois on Senior Night
01/27/2022 | 1:00:00 | Swimming & Diving
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University Salukis' are set to host in-state competition, Eastern Illinois, tomorrow inside Shea Natatorium at 4pm. The final dual of the regular season will also feature the swim and dive program's senior night, recognizing 10 seniors before the meet.
SIU-EASTERN ILLINOIS HISTORY
Last seeing the Panthers in the pool at the 2021 A3 Performance Invitational, the Saluki women are an even 3-3 with EIU, overtaking them with 1353 to 321 points at the invite. Meeting them in tri-meet action last season, the Dawgs outswam Eastern Illinois 209-53 with SIU taking first-place titles in every event.
The men, having not met since 1995 and then again at the A3 Performance, holds the upper 3-0 all-time record to the Panthers. The Salukis recorded 1214.5 points to EIU's 301.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Both the men's and women's programs have posted 1-4 records on the season thus far. The Panther women outswam Valparaiso 167-95, while the men defeated the Beacons 155-107 in team points. Seeing MVC opponents Evansville and Indiana State, the EIU women fell to Bellarmine while posting four first place finishes. On the men's side, they met Wasbash, dropping 122-153 and meeting Ball State back in October, falling 95-161.
LAST TIME OUT
Opening up the 2022 schedule last weekend, the women walked away with wins at Little Rock and Henderson State with 171 points to the Trojans and 212 points to HSU, while the men surmounted 184 points against the men of the Division II Reddies' 78. Gustav Persson was the lead in another Saluki sweep of the podium in the 100-breaststroke at 58.00 even -- his second best of the season. He also took home the top spot in the 200, clocking in at 2:08.04. Junior Terry Yang made the distance for the SIU men up against Henderson State. Yang hit the wall at 10:03.75 to mark a first place title in the 1000-freestyle, followed by teammates Ben Rutledge (10:08.02), and Austin Kinsler (10:08.39).
The Dawgs pulled out a 185-115 performance against Indiana State Saturday, that included NCAA "B" cut performances by freshman Celia Pulido. On the diving boards, freshman Farida Moussa and senior Laura Mircea outshined the rest with first place titles on the one- (243.60) and three-meter (240.15) boards. Senior Eden Girloanta came back in the distance 1000-freestyle event. The Israeli native clocked in at 10:19.76.
WEEKLY WINNERS
The Missouri Valley Conference named freshman sophomore Fernanda Sanchez and senior Laura Mircea swimmer and diver of the week on Tuesday. Sanchez completed her first career "three-peat" in the Salukis win over Little Rock and Henderson State on Friday. Sanchez earned first-place marks in the 200-free (1:55.15), 500-free (5:05.85), and 200-IM (2:07.73). She also outswam the Sycamores in SIU's dual with Indiana State on Saturday to complete the weekend. Sanchez also notched a 5:00.26 pace in the 500-free and 4:27.38 finale in the 400-IM to earn first-place. Mircea earned her second first-place mark on the three-meter board (240.15) in Saturday's dual against Indiana State and also placed third (220.80) in the one-meter event, after qualifying for NCAA Zones last semester.
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Players Mentioned
