CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini Swim and Dive team is set to travel to Carbondale Ill. on Friday (Nov. 1) where they will compete in their first road meet of the year against Southern Illinois and Illinois State with competition scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CT.
Illinois is coming off the inaugural House of Paign Invite where they claimed wins against Vanderbilt (232-101) and Indiana State (250.5-135.5) on Oct. 25, and 26. Freshman Chloe Diner continued her remarkable start to her collegiate swimming career as she claimed gold in four different events including the 50 breaststroke super final (29.39), the 100 butterfly (55.40), the 100 breaststroke (1:02.25), and the 200 breaststroke (2:17:57). Senior Sydney Stoll made a big impact as well for the Illini as she took home wins in the 50 butterfly super final (25.04), the 100 butterfly super final (1:03.82) and the 200 freestyle (1:50.12).
The Orange and Blue also dominated the boards this past weekend, with sophomores Dani O'Kelly (262.05) and Elle Crisostomo (260.25) claiming gold in the one-meter dive and three-meter dive, respectively.
Scouting the Opponents
Southern Illinois comes into the meet with a 3-0 record this season. The Salukis opened their season on Oct. 2, with a dual against McKendree where they won 230-60. They followed that up a couple days later, Oct. 4, with a 246-107 win against Missouri State and were back with their latest dual on Oct. 26 when they won 202-96 against UIC. Last season, they finished 6-3 overall and didn't compete in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
Illinois State owns a 0-2 record this season, dropping their season opener to Indiana State by a score of 213.5-86.5 on Oct. 4. Their last time out was a two-day dual against Ohio on Oct.18, and 19 where they lost 273-139. Last season the Redbirds ended with a 4-2 record and finished fourth at the Missouri Valley Championships.
