USI Swim & Dive Prepares for Opener in Inaugural Season​​​​​​​

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving teams prepare for their first meet of the 2022-23 season as they host Valparaiso University on Saturday, October 1st at 1pm at the USI Aquatic Center. This is the first meet of the inaugural season for both programs.
 
Both teams will season will consist of eight meets, including three home meets, and will conclude with the Summit League Championships beginning February 22nd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The three home meets for the Screaming Eagles will consist of back-to-back home meets to open the season, hosting Valparaiso and Quincy University on October 22nd.  USI will then compete in five road meets from October to January. The Eagles will then finish the regular season at home hosting Southern Illinois University on January 21st.
 
USI comes into this season under the direction of Head Coach Cameron Kainer. Kainer came to USI in August 2021 after being the head coach at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the 2020-21 season. He also spent seven seasons as the head coach of his alma mater, the University of Texas Permian Basin from 2013-2020. In his time as a head coach, Kainer was 54-21 in dual meets.
 
USI Men
USI Men’s Swimming & Diving was predicted to finish eighth in the Summit League this season. Garrett Crist (Bargersville, Indiana) was named your swimmer to watch this season for the Eagles while Lane Pollock (Boonville, Indiana) was named the diver to watch this season.
 
Crist is a Center Grove High School product who was a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-State competitor. He was also named to the NISCA All-American swim team in 2021. Pollock, the Eagles lone diver, comes out of Boonville High School where he collected 12 athletic letters in three different sports. He tallied two state appearances and led his team to back-to-back conference championships.
 
The USI Men’s Swimming & Diving roster is consisted of 21 athletes, 20 of which are freshman.  The lone sophomore for the Eagles is Payton Buse (Lynnville, Indiana) who transfers to USI from Eastern Illinois University.
 
USI Women
USI Women’s Swimming & Diving was predicted to finish eighth in the Summit League this season. Mattilynn Smith (Morgantown, Kentucky) was named your swimmer to watch for the Eagles this season and Autumn Turley (Hobart, Indiana) was named the diver to watch this season.
 
Smith is a Buter County High School product and was named All-Region and Academic All-State in four straight years and was crowned regional champion in the 200 and 500 freestyle in 2022. Smith was also named the 2022 Regional Outstanding Female Swimmer of the Year and was a top-10 finisher at the state level in the 1,000 and 1,650 for Southern Kentucky Swim Club. Turley, the Hobart High School graduate, was an Indiana High School Diving sectional qualifier and led the team to a Western Invite championship and Hobart Invite championship. She was also a part of the All-American Gold Team Scholars in 2020.
 
The USI Women’s Swimming & Diving roster is consisted of 22 athletes, 20 of which are freshmen. Junior Jordan Ambrose (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) and sophomore Adele Schnautz (Evansville, Indiana) are both local products of Reitz High School and Memorial High School respectively.

Tickets will be available at the door; $5 for adults 18+, $3 for ages 3-17, under 3 are free. USI Students and Staff are free. Doors will open at noon and the USI Aquatic Center’s capacity is 285.