Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Men's Swimming & Diving

Geoff Hanson is entering his sixth year as the Men’s and Women’s Head Coach following a historic and record-breaking 2023-24 season. Since Hanson began with the Saluki Swimming & Diving program in the fall of 2019, SIU swimmers and divers have compiled more than 50 relay and individual conference titles, and set program records nearly 100 times. The Salukis have combined for a 52-23 dual-meet record in Hanson’s first five seasons as well as sweeping the SIU Invitational in 2019 and the A3 Performance Invitational in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In 2023 the Saluki Men finished 28that the Men’s NCAA Championships, while in 2024 the Women matched that 28th place finish at the Women’s NCAAs. During the 2023-24 season the Saluki men and women combined for 13 relay and individual MVC and MAC titles, and 17 total program records. The women compiled 1126.5 points for a third-place finish in the Missouri Valley, while the men complied 657.5 points to also finish third in their final year as a member of the Mid-American Conference. Under Hanson, Celia Pulido-JR was named MVC Swimmer of the Year for her performances during the regular season and conference meet. Pulido went on to a historic showing at the Women’s NCAA Championships in Athens, GA. Her 7th place First Team All-American finish in the 100 Backstroke marked the highest NCAA finish by a female Saluki swimmer since 1988. Her time of 50.73 stands as the fastest 100 Backstroke in mid-major collegiate history. She also finished 13th in t

Chunhua “Joy” Zhao enters her 20th year as SIU’s diving coach and second-longest tenured coach in Carbondale. Zhao has earned Diving Coach of the Year recognition six times and last earned the honor at the 2020 Missouri Valley Conference Championships. Under her leadership, SIU divers have been named conference Diver of the Year 13 times and have earned 19 conference titles. Most recently, Zhao coached divers Beibei Ji and Baobao Ji to a one-two finish at the MVC Championships in the one- and three-meter dives in 2020. Under her guidance, Baobao and Beibei combined for six diving titles in three years. Baobao was named Valley Diver of the Year in 2018 and 2020 while Beibei swept diving titles in 2019. Zhao is notable for coaching Kaixuan "Sherry" Zhang to seven MVC titles and a bronze finish in the three-meter dive at the 2014 NCAA Championships. Zhang earned MVC Diver of the Week honors 21 times and MVC Diver of the Year three times under Zhao. On the men’s side, Zhao recently coached Kai Hoffmann-Dussome to a victory in the one-meter and Mid-American Conference Diver of the Year honors at the 2020 MAC Championships. He became the second Saluki on the men's team to earn a conference title under Zhao. Hoffman-Dussome won the MAC's Freshman Diver of the Year Award in 2017. Kegan Skelton came away with the 2015 MAC conference title in the one-meter. He was also named MAC Diver of the Year. To conclude the 2014-15 season, Zhao accompanied Zhang to the NCAA Championships for the

Laura Carver was named assistant coach for Saluki swimming & diving on Nov. 4, 2022. Carver is an SIU swimming & diving alum, competing from 2016-20. She was...