SIU’s Celia Pulido Clocks 52.65 100 BK, 53.67 100 FL on Day 2 of A3 Performance Invite

2023 A3 PERFORMANCE INVITATIONAL

• November 9-11, 2023
• Carbondale, IL
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results
  • Available on MeetMobile
• Day 1 Recap

TEAMS

• Bellarmine
• Eastern Illinois (women only)
• Indiana State (diving only)
• Southern Illinois
• Evansville
• Nebraska – Omaha
• Southern Indiana
• Valparaiso

The second day of the 2023 A3 Performance Invitational hosted by Southern Illinois is in the books. After a thrilling day one, day two featured the 200 medley relay, 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, and men’s 3-meter diving.

The Southern Illinois men picked up where they left off on Thursday, winning the men’s 200 medley relay by a huge margin. Alex Cimera (22.85), Tiago Faleiros (25.26), Nicolas Barrio Lanuza (20.94), Alex Santiago (19.37) teamed up for a 1:28.42, touching as the only team under 1:30. As fast as that relay was, it’s arguably more impressive that the SIU ‘B’ relay clocked a 1:29.02. Jared Moore (22.61), Jack Khrypunov (25.84), Trey Smith (21.46), and Donat Csuvarszki (19.11) combined to make that happen. If we put together the fastest SIU combination from last night, Moore, Faleiros, Lanuza, and Csuvarszki, the Salukis would have been 1:27.92.

Moore would go on to win the men’s 100 back towards the end of the session, He posted a 48.46, touching 1st by over a second. Similarly, Faleiros was the winner of the men’s 100 breast, swimming a 54.18. He was a touch slower than he was in prelims, where he went a 54.16.

Another one of the SIU relay members, Alex Santiago, was an individual champion on the night. Santiago took the men’s 200 free in 1:38.63. It was a terrific race, seeing Santiago, his teammate Tomas Peciar, and Omaha’s Kyle Kulow separated by just 0.30 seconds. Santiago was out the fastest, splitting 22.43 on the first 50 to establish the lead. Both Kulow and Peciar would close the gap on the 2nd 50 but Santiago would still hold at slim lead at the 100-yard turn. The screws would tighten even more on the 3rd 50, where Kulow closed the gap to just 0.24 seconds at the 150 turn. That margin would essentially hold through the finish. Kulow came in 2nd with a 1:38.84, while Peciar was 3rd in 1:38.93.

The Salukis saw to men go under 4:00 in 400 IM. Selim Hassan won the event with a 3:56.44, leading teammate Ian Marshall (3:59.51), who came in 2nd. Hassan was very solid on fly, splitting 53.66. He then tacked on a 1:00.44 back split before posting a 1:07.78 on breast and coming home in a speedy 54.56 on free.

The only men’s swimming event not won by SIU on day two went to Evansville. The Aces saw Daniel Santos Lopez take the 100 fly in a thriller over SIU’s Nicolas Barrio Lanuza. Lopez was out in 22.40, hitting the 50-yard turn just behind Lanuza, who was 22.36 on the first 50. Lopez then came home just the tiniest bit faster than Lanuza, splitting 25.64 to his 25.69. At the finish, Lopez was 48.04, just 0.01 seconds ahead of Lanuza (48.05).

Southern Illinois’ Brooklyn Anderson was dominant in the women’s 400 IM. She took the event in 4:22.16, touching first by well over 8 seconds. She put together a well-paced swim, going 58.38 on fly, 1:06.42 on back, 1:15.91 on breast, and 1:01.45 on free.

As she has been throughout her career with the Salukis, Celia Pulido was excellent in the women’s 100 back, taking the event in 52.83. She was just a bit faster in prelims yesterday morning, where she swam a 52.65. Pulido was the only double individual event winner on the day, as she also took the women’s 100 fly in 54.36. In that race as well, Pulido was faster in prelims, having posted a 53.67 in prelims.

Pulido was also great on the SIU 200 medley relay, getting their ‘A’ team out to a 25.23 start. Olivia Herron then clocked a 28.30 on breast, Jasmine Rau was 24.66 on fly, and Masha Zhukova split 22.85 on the anchor. The Salukis tore into the finish in 1:41.04, winning the event by over 3 seconds.

Herron would go on from that relay to win the women’s 100 breast, clocking a 1:01.65.

The women’s 200 free went to SIU’s Beatriz Padron Salazar, who swam a 1:49.58. She won the race convincingly, touching first by nearly 2 full seconds. It was an incredibly tightly split swim, as Salazar went 54.28 on the first 100 then came home in 55.30.

OTHER EVENT WINNERS

• Men’s 3-meter diving: Ian Blackstock (Omaha) – 288.20

TEAM SCORES THRU DAY TWO:

MEN:

1. Southern Illinois – 667
2. Omaha – 461
3. Evansville – 398
4. Southern Indiana – 293
5. Bellarmine – 283
6. Valparaiso – 166

WOMEN:

1. Southern Illinois – 361.5
2. Omaha – 201
3. Evansville – 114.5
4. Eastern Illinois – 101.5
5. Southern Indiana – 81
6. Bellarmine – 80.5
7. Valparaiso – 58