Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University (SIU) is gearing up for the 2025-26 swim and dive season with the addition of 14 new athletes to its roster. The team welcomes Nickolas Kosta, a transfer from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), along with 13 freshmen.

Nickolas Kosta, originally from Paphos, Cyprus, joins SIU after competing in six meets for UNCW. He specializes in freestyle events and achieved personal bests at the Gamecock Invitational in November 2024, including a 20.36 in the 50-yard freestyle, a 44.46 in the 100-yard freestyle, and a time of 1:43.52 in the 200-yard freestyle.

The incoming freshmen class includes Kyler Beights from Lubbock, Texas; Aiden Tillis from Vestavia Hills, Alabama; Maddax Thompson from Carbondale, Illinois; Alex Odom from Brentwood, California; Mike Potts from North Little Rock, Arkansas; Ron Latwis from Palos Hills, Illinois; Michael Morrow from Prosper, Texas; Peyton Selts from Miami, Florida; Molly Henry from Kansas City, Missouri; Autumn Milford from Bentonville, Arkansas; Lívia Munkácsi-Nagy from Budapest, Hungary; Ellie Shaw from Antigua and Barbuda; and Freedom Toll from Prospect Heights, Illinois.

Several newcomers bring notable achievements to SIU. Maddax Thompson has competed in both Winter Junior Nationals and Open Water Junior Nationals. Alex Odom was crowned national champion for the 100-yard fly among 17-18 year-olds in 2023. Peyton Selts won Florida's Class 4A state championship and participated in Junior Nationals.

On the women's side of the team, Molly Henry was a state champion swimmer at her high school and competed at Futures Championships. Autumn Milford qualified for Winter Junior Nationals in the mile event. Lívia Munkácsi-Nagy placed second at the Hungarian Junior National Championships in 2024 and fourth at the Hungarian National Championships in 2025. Ellie Shaw represented Antigua at the Paris Olympics in 2024 for the breaststroke events.

Fans can stay updated on SIU's swim and dive teams by following them on social media platforms such as X (@SIU_SwimDive), Instagram (@siu_swimdive), Facebook (facebook.com/SIUSwimDive), or through their mobile app available on both App Store and Google Play Store.