The Illinois swim and dive completed the House of Paign Invite on Saturday (Oct. 25) in the ARC Pool. The Illini beat Illinois State 272-78 and Southern Illinois 203-143 to improve to 4-0 on the young 2025-26 season.
The 400 medley relay team of Sophia Paduano, Kayla Duran, Chloe Diner and Eva Allan started the morning off with the eighth-fastest time in program history in their silver medal finish (3:41.79). Matilda Garcia earned the gold medal in the one-meter dive today with the program’s eighth highest score of 288.98 which is an NCAA B cut.
Diner later went on to earn silver in the 200 IM (2:02.06), Duran did so as well in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.27) and Allan earned bronze in the 100 freestyle (50.99).
Liv Dorshorst once again won the 500 freestyle on a time of 4:55.19 and Taylor Judas placed second on a time of 4:58.68. Each of them improved over six seconds from their season opening time last week.
Alexis Wendel captured the event crown in the 200 butterfly (2:04.01). Kalina Nikolaeva touched second in the 200 backstroke (2:00.47) and Adelaide Reaser did so in the 200 butterfly (2:05.66).
On the one-meter boards, Bethany Mercer (282.98) and Elle Crisostomo (275.78) finished second and third, respectively, each with new personal-best scores and NCAA B cuts. Elleka Boeres placed fourth (263.93) and Carlie Rose placed fifth (243.45).
Southern Illinois’ Olivia Herron, broke the pool record in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.48). Liseska Gallegos Gutierrez, Herron, Brooklyn Anderson, Susana Hernandez broke the pool record in the 400 medley relay, 3:41.30.
Hernandez took first in the 200-yard freestyle. Southern won the next event as well, with Gallegos Gutierrez’s 54.26 in the 100-yard backstroke putting her atop the podium.
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