CHICAGO (Feb. 1, 2024) – For the second consecutive week, the UIC swimming and diving program has an eventful weekend to look forward to at Flames Natatorium. On Friday, the Flames host a tri-meet on Friday, starting at 2 p.m. (CT) against Southern Illinois and Valparaiso. On Saturday, the divers take to the skies starting at 11 a.m. (CT) for the annual UIC Diving Invitational. Admission will be free to the public for both events.

Southern Illinois/Valparaiso at UIC
Friday, Feb. 2, 2024 | 2 p.m. (CT)
Flames Natatorium | Chicago, Illinois
Admission: Free
How to follow: Meet Mobile (Google Play | App Store)

 SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

• This will be the first time both the men's and women's programs are slated to face off against the Salukis program history.
• SIU is coming off a big weekend at home at the SIU Recreation Center. The women's team secured victories against Indiana State (151-149) and Quincy (254-39). The men's program earned the 177-75 win against Hawks.

SCOUTING VALPARAISO

• The Flames and Beacons have met more than 14 times in the past two decades, with UIC winning every meet. The women's team has a 14-0 record while the men's team sits with a 13-0 all-time record against Valparaiso.
• The two programs last met on Jan. 14, 2022 at the Valparaiso Aquatic Center where the women's team (199-59) and the men's team (160-93) collected victories. Senior Taira Juronis (Palos Hills, Ill./Amos Alonzo Stagg) earned individual wins in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.57) and the 400 individual medley (4:40.79). Junior Luke Wiesner (Chicago, Ill./West Chicago Community) collected his first individual wins at UIC in the 100 (53.76 second) and 200 (1:57.66) backstroke.

ORDER OF EVENTS

• Diving Event
• 400 Medley Relay
• 1000 Free
• 200 Free
• 50 Free
• 400 Individual Medley
• Diving Event
• 100 Butterfly
• 100 Free
• 100 Back
• 500 Free
• 100 Breaststroke
• 200 Free relay

 
NOTE: The men and women diving teams will switch between the one-meter and three-meter diving board at the meet.
 
UIC DIVING INVITATIONAL
Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024 | 11:00 a.m. (CT)
Flames Natatorium | Chicago, Ill.
Admission: Free
How to Follow: DiveMeets.com
 
SCHOOLS COMPETING

• Southern Indiana
• UChicago
• UIC
• Wisconsin- Eau Claire
• Wisconsin- Green Bay
• Wisconsin- Oshkosh

 
ORDER OF EVENTS

• Women's one-meter/men's three-meter diving event
• Men's one-meter/women's three-meter diving event
• Men's/women's/mixed team event

 
LAST WEEKEND RECAP

• For the fifth time this season, sophomore Harrison Nolan (Riverside, Ill./Riverside Brookfield) was recognized as the Mid-American Conference Diver of the Week. The sophomore collected three first-place finishes between a tri-meet against Evansville/Missouri State and the UIC Invitational. Nolan's 408.45 point performance on the three-meter diving board at the UIC Invitational not only won him the event, but also set a UIC record previously held by Felix LaFortune back in 2022 (408.15 points). That mark also is the new high on the three-meter diving board at Flames Natatorium.
• Senior Rafe Dolan Peterson (Austin, Minn./Austin) walked out of the UIC Invitational with two individual first place finishes in the 100 backstroke (50.02 points) and a career-high in the 100 butterfly (48.72 seconds).
• Junior Kendra Preski (Springfield, Ill./Glenview) collected a first place finish in the UIC Invitational with a career-high in the 200 backstroke in a time of 2:05.79.
• After a first-place finish on the one-meter diving board 247.30 points  Friday against Evansville and Missouri State, sophomore Kerry-Leigh Morrison (Gauteng, South Africa/St. Mary's School) followed that up with two second-place finishes at the UIC Invitational. After scoring 241.90 points on the one-meter diving board, she finished her day with score 275.85 points on the three-meter diving board event, just 1.80 points behind the event's winner, IUPUI's Alaina Heyde (277.65 points).

 
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For more information, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_SwimDive and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_swimdive and @uicflames).