Men’s and Women’s swimming preview

This weekend’s University of Illinois’ Dual Meet Extravaganza is a possible springboard for the SIUC men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams.

The Saluki men and women will attempt to avenge tough losses both teams suffered at the hands of the University of Missouri last Friday when they travel to Champaign this weekend.

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Men’s swimming and diving coach Rick Walker said the team is looking forward to the weekend meet to make up for the difficult 126-117 loss Friday, which came down to the last race, the 400-meter freestyle relay. The men’s team fell to 1-2 with the loss to Missouri.

Last weekend will only make us more determined to win this weekend, Walker said. It was a meet we could have won, but I do not fault our kids in that meet.

The meet is set up so the Salukis will face three teams in the weekend extravaganza.

Friday evening, the team will contend against the University of Iowa. The Salukis face Bowling Green State University Saturday morning and the University of Cincinnati Saturday evening.

The women’s meet is set up similar to the men’s, but the women will face Illinois instead of Iowa, as they try to better a 1-2 record and improve after a 162-80 loss to Missouri.

The women’s team will start its competition Friday night against Illinois. The SIUC women next face Bowling Green Saturday morning and finish the weekend with Cincinnati Saturday evening.

SIUC men’s swimmer Liam Weseloh said the men’s team is trying to maintain its finish from last weekend.

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We finished the meet off really strong last weekend, so we should start strong this weekend, he said.

Weseloh said the meet should be highly competitive and physically demanding.

We want to try to stay mentally focused, he said. We’re right on track physically, we just have to be mentally prepared all weekend.

The men’s and women’s swimming teams will be in action this weekend at the University of Illinois’ Dual Meet Extravaganza in Champaign. The Salukis’ first meet out of three will start at 6:30 p.m. Friday, with the men battling Iowa and the women taking on Illinois.