Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving Sweeps Lincoln College
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Oct. 18, 2003
By Lou Antoine
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois men's and women's swimming and diving teams opened the 2003-04 season with a sweep of Lincoln (Ill.) College on Saturday at the Student Rec Center pool. The SIU men won 196.50-41.50 and the women won 221-18 as the Salukis captured all 26 events against the Division II school.
Senior diver Adam Peper (308.70) and freshman Brandon Birchak (301.00) finished first and second in the 1-Meter dive, setting NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the process. Birchak also won the 3-Meter dive in his first SIU meet.
Double winners Adam Gangl (100 & 200 free) and Derek Hevey (100 breast & 200 IM) had strong performances and were joined by veterans Joe Neukirch (1000 free in personal best 9:35.14), Sakis Lambrou (50 free), Matthew Glowacki (100 fly), Marcelo Possato (100 back) and Andrew Mitchell (500 free) as winners.
Brigitta Olson, Kelsey Kinsella and Briley Bergen led the women with two wins apiece. Olson's wins included personal bests in the 100 fly (58.96) and 100 back (1:00.37). Kinsella (100 & 200 free) and Bergen (500 & 1000 free) joined veterans Rachel Green (50 free) and Andrea Johnson (1-Meter Dive) as winners.
SIU also picked up wins from newcomers Nora Bunford (200 IM), Nadine Shawah (3-Meter Dive) and Kim Grossnickle (100 Breast). Shawah, a junior transfer and the 2003 NJCAA national diving champion, won her first meet as a Saluki.
SIU will travel to Lincoln, Neb. next week to face the University of Nebraska in a dual meet on October, 25.