EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving return home for back-to-back meets to finish their inaugural regular season. The Screaming Eagles will host Southern Illinois University on Saturday then finish the season on January 28 hosting Eastern Illinois University, that meet was originally scheduled for January 14 but had been postponed and moved to the USI Aquatics Center.
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The meet on Saturday has had an adjusted start time. The 3-meter diving event will begin at 10 am while the rest of the meet will start as scheduled at 11 am.
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USI Men
The Eagles last meet came on January 6 at Cleveland State University as the they fell to the Vikings, 204-82. USI had just eight top three finishes on the day while freshman Carson Faley (Dixon, Illinois) led the way, earning seven points in his three events. Freshmen Gabriel Groves (New Carlisle, Indiana) and Chris Brown (Mattawan, Michigan) closely followed Faley with six point each, groves in two events and Brown in three.
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In his first meet with the Eagles, freshman Donnevun Banks won both diving events, scoring a 198.75 in the 1-meter and a 187.58 in the 3-meter. Freshman Lane Pollock (Boonville, Indiana) finished right behind Banks in both events, earning a 163.58 in the 1-meter and a 177.3 in the 3-meter.
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The Eagles have had 10 different swimmers set season and school bests this season. Faley leads USI with three bests in the 200-Yard Butterfly and the 200 and 500-Yard Freestyles. Freshmen Caleb Davis (Spring, Texas) and Groves both have two bests. Davis leads the team in the 100 and 200-Yard Breaststrokes while Groves leads in the 100-Yard Backstroke and 100-Yard Freestyle. Sophomore Payton Buse (Lynnville, Indiana) and freshmen Creed Loy (Knoxville, Tennessee) and Grant VanWanzeele (Plainfield, Indiana) lead the team in the final three freestyle events. Buse leading the 50-Yard, Loy in the 1000-Yard, and VanWanzeele in the 1650-Yard. Freshmen Caleb Beaven (Newburgh, Indiana) and Colin Lee (Lakeland, Tennessee) lead the team in the 200 and 400-Yard IM, respectively. Freshmen Liam Murray (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Gregory Benson (Plainfield, Illinois) round out the pack for the Eagles as Murray leads the team in the 200-Yard Backstroke and Benson leads in the 100-Yard Butterfly.
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USI Women
The Eagles fell to Cleveland State in their opening match of 2023, 188.5-91.5. USI was able to earn eight second place finishes while freshman Hannah Gardner (Bowling Green, Kentucky) was the only one to have multiple second place finishes with two. Gardner and freshman Mattilynn Smith (Morgantown, Kentucky) led the Eagles, securing 10 points each.
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Freshman Autumn Turley (Hobart, Indiana) brought in eight points for the Eagles in diving. Turley recorded a 144.68 in the 1-meter and a 142.88 in the 3-meter.
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The Eagles have six different swimmers that lead the team in season and school bests this season. Smith leads the way for USI, leading in four categories. She leads the team in the 200, 500, 1000, and 1650-Yard Freestyles. Freshman Kate Hilgarth (Indianapolis, Indiana) follows Smith with three team bests in the 100 and 200-Yard Backstrokes as well as the 50-Yard Freestyle. Freshmen Sarah-Catherine Dawson (Prospect, Kentucky) and Gardner as well as sophomore Adele Schnautz (Evansville, Indiana) all have two team bests. Dawson leads the team in the 100 and 200-Yard Butterflys, Gardner leads in the 100 and 200-Yard Breastrokes, and Schnautz leads the team in the 200 and 400-Yard IM, respectively. Freshman Emily McIntosh (Huntertown, Indiana) rounds out the leaders in the 100-Yard Freestyle.
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Southern Illinois Salukis
The Southern Illinois Men started their season slow, falling to McKendree University to open their season. The Salukis were able to bounce back and earn wins over the University of Evansville and Missouri State University at the MVC Showcase. They then hosted the A3 Performance Invitational where the men took first place. USI finished sixth at the same event. The men then finishes seventh of seven schools at the Purdue Invitational. In their most recent meet the SIU men took down Ball State University.
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The SIU Women were able to take down McKendree to open their season. The Salukis would go on to split at the University of Illinois, falling to the Fighting Illini but took down Illinois State University. They then took first place at the A3 Performance Invitational, where USI would take fifth. In their most recent meet the SIU women fell to both Ball State and Indiana State University.
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The Salukis will host the University of Arkansas Little Rock and Lindenwood University on Friday before traveling to Evansville.
