Illinois Swim and Dive Welcomes Southern Illinois, Illinois State for House of Paign Invite

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini swim and dive team will host their first home meet of the season on Friday-Saturday (Oct. 24-25) when they welcome Southern Illinois and Illinois State to the ARC Pool. Friday is set to start at 5 p.m. and Saturday will begin at 11 a.m. CT.

Illinois is coming off a big weekend at Iowa State where they won both matches 121-65 and 123-82 to being the year 2-0. Matilda Garica recorded the program's eighth-best three-meter dive in her silver medal finish with a score of 305.20 points on Friday night.

The dominance continued with the Illini taking home eight event wins in the 50, 200, 400 and 1000 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 butterfly, 200 IM and the 200 medley relay all on Friday. 

The Orange and Blue did not slow down on Saturday winning the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle, 100 and 200 backstroke, 400 IM, 200 freestyle relay and the 400 medley relay rounding out their day with another eight event wins.

Illinois switches gears this weekend for the House of Paign Invite in the ARC Pool. Last year the Illini dominated in this meet beating Vanderbilt 232.-101 and Indiana State 250.5-135.5, leading 99-27 and 90-39 respectively after day one.

Last year when traveling to Southern Illinois the Orange and Blue were able squeeze out a close win 157-143 in that meet and rolled Illinois State 252-48. Chloe Diner shattered the 100 breaststroke program record in her second-place finish (1:01.59) when Illinois took on Southern Illinois a year ago. The now sophomore looks to continue this dominance this weekend.

There were a total of eight top-10 program marks last year when these teams squared off. It will be an Orange Out and Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness night on Friday. 

Southern Illinois arrives in Champaign with a 1-1 record on the season. Illinois State also comes to Champaign with a record of 1-3 on the season. Both Southern Illinois and Illinois State took on Illinois-Chicago earlier in the year, with Southern Illinois winning 174-124 and Illinois State losing 221-78. Last season Southern Illinois finished in second place at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships with 1,331 points while Illinois State finished in seventh with 738 points.