Salukis swimmers blow Evansville out of water

By Ryan Demer, Sports Reporter

The Saluki men’s and women’s swimming and diving team defeated the Evansville Purple Aces on Saturday afternoon.

On Senior Night, Southern claimed all 26 of the meet’s events.

The SIU men won 157-79, while the women won 166-72.

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On the men’s side, sophomore Tamas Hajtman claimed first the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly event. Hajtman finished the 100-yard butterfly in 50.71 for a new season-best time for SIU and won the 50-yard freestyle in 21.18.

Hajtman anchored the victorious 200-yard freestyle relay team that included senior Joao Facciotti, senior Nolan Hilliard and junior Reilly Garman.

Garman claimed the 200-yard freestyle event in 1:43.15 — a season-best time for the Salukis. He also took the 100-yard freestyle event in 47.56.

Freshman Sam Drew claimed the 200-yard IM event in 1:56.61. He also won the 100-yard breaststroke in 58.55.

Drew also was a piece of the first-place 400-yard medley relay team made up of senior Alex Crawford, junior Alex Netzel and sophomore Matt Ciezczak.

Crawford also won the 100-yard backstroke event in 51.86.

Senior Michael Wolfe won the 500-yard freestyle event with a time of 4:37.86.

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Sophomore Chris Cole earned a win in the 1000-yard freestyle event in 9:31.24.

Amongst the men’s diving team, sophomore Eli Mercado claimed both the 1-meter and 3-meter dive events. He finished the 1-meter event with a score of 315 and scored 272.25 in the 3-meter.

On the women’s side, senior Bryn Handley claimed the 500-yard freestyle event in 4:58.44. She also won the 100-yard freestyle in 52.95 and was a part of the victorious 100-yard freestyle relay team of sophomore Rita Naude and seniors Mikaela Montgomery and Chandler Ott.

Naude also won the 50-yard breaststroke event in 27.87.

Junior Emma Brazeau won the 100-yard IM event, the 50-yard butterfly event and was also on the first-place 100-yard medley relay team of senior McKenna Avery, junior Jessica Peck and freshman Abbie Young.

Sophomore Sam Parsons claimed the 50-yard breaststroke in 30.60.

Junior Jordan Ries won the 250-yard freestyle event in 2:28.09.

For the women’s divers, sophomore Baobao Ji took the 1-meter dive event with a score of 280.57.

Ji’s twin sister Beibei won the 3-meter dive event with a score of 296.26.

The Saluki women will now turn their attention towards the MVC Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 14-17. The men will prepare for the MAC Swimming and Diving Championships that begins Feb. 28 and ends on March 3.

Sports writer Ryan Demer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @RyanDemer_DE 

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