SIU Salukis Make History Across Two Split Meets

Carbondale, Illinois — The Southern Illinois University Salukis men’s swimming and diving team secured a historic dual-meet sweep on April 19, 2026, defeating both Missouri State and Lindenwood in separate competitions held at the SIU Arena Natatorium. The victories marked the first time in program history that the Salukis had won both meets in a single day against Division I opponents, a milestone highlighted by strong individual performances across freestyle, backstroke, and diving events.

In the morning dual against Missouri State, the Salukis prevailed with a score of 148–126. SIU swept the 200-yard freestyle relay and earned top-three finishes in seven of the eleven individual events. Senior captain Ethan Vosburgh led the charge with wins in the 200-yard freestyle (1:41.22) and 500-yard freestyle (4:32.89), while sophomore diver Malik Chen claimed first place in both the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events with scores of 287.45 and 312.10, respectively.

The afternoon match against Lindenwood proved tighter, but SIU edged out a 139–135 victory. The Salukis clinched the win in the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, where the quartet of Vosburgh, junior transfer Daniel Reyes, senior Bret Ellis, and freshman Kai Nakamura touched in 3:02.44 — just 0.38 seconds ahead of Lindenwood’s A relay. Reyes, who joined SIU from Arizona State in the offseason, contributed significantly with second-place finishes in the 100-yard butterfly (48.91) and 200-yard individual medley (1:52.33).

Head coach Lisa Tran praised the team’s resilience, particularly in the second meet. “To come back and win that relay after a long day speaks volumes about their character,” Tran said. “We’ve been building toward this kind of depth all season, and today we saw it pay off when it mattered most.” She noted that the team had trained specifically for back-to-back competitions, incorporating simulated dual-meet fatigue into weekly practices.

The sweep improved SIU’s dual-meet record to 8–3 on the season and positioned the Salukis favorably ahead of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships, scheduled for February 2027. Vosburgh, who was named MVC Swimmer of the Week for his performance, emphasized the team’s focus moving forward. “This shows People can compete with anyone when we’re locked in,” he said. “Now we take this momentum into conference prep and aim to challenge for the title.”

According to SIU Athletics, the last time the Salukis won two dual meets in one day was in 2010, though both opponents were non-Division I programs. The 2026 sweep represents the first such achievement against Division I competition in the program’s recorded history, which dates back to 1978. Missouri State and Lindenwood both entered the day with winning records in dual competition, making the feat more notable.

Saluki swimmers will next compete in the Cody Hartman Invitational hosted by Northern Iowa on October 10, 2026, as part of their preseason preparation for the conference slate.