Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's women's swim and dive team concluded their final meet before the Missouri Valley Conference Championships with a victory against Vanderbilt, securing a 154-108 win. The event took place on Saturday afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee.

Head coach Geoff Hanson expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, stating, "Today was a great opportunity for the Dawgs to compete on the road in the SEC, and the women took full advantage of it. We are all proud of the overall effort, and to come away with a win to finish the dual meet season with a 10-1 record is fantastic. With the MVC Championships just over three weeks away, these ladies are focused on what needs to be done to be at our best."

The Salukis achieved 26 podium finishes across 14 events, including nine first-place victories. Olivia Herron notably set new MVC records in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 400-yard individual medley while meeting NCAA "B" standards three times during her performances.

Celia Pulido also met NCAA "B" standards twice during her races. The day began with SIU's "A" team winning first place in the 200-yard medley relay. Individual highlights included Ale Hoyos Horvath's near ten-second improvement in the 1000-yard freestyle and Susanna Hernandez's top finish in the 200-yard freestyle.

Pulido achieved her first NCAA "B" standard of the day with a time of 52.23 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke. Herron followed by setting an SIU and MVC record in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 59.78 seconds.

In other events, Tamara De la Torre finished third in the 200-yard butterfly while Zhukova secured first place in the junior category for her career-best time of 23.21 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle.

Further achievements included Pulido's first-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke and Herron's record-breaking performance in both individual medleys she participated in.

The meet concluded with SIU's relay teams finishing strong as they prepare for upcoming championships. The men's team will compete from February 19-22, followed by the women's squad from February 26-March 1.

Fans can stay updated on Southern Illinois University's swim and dive teams through social media platforms or by downloading their mobile app available on major app stores.