Courtesy: SIU Athletics
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois swim and dive continues to prepare for the upcoming 2025-26 season, and with the new season comes 14 new faces to represent the Salukis in the pool.
SIU welcomes one transfer to the roster as Nickolas Kosta will join the Salukis after one year at UNCW. Swimming in six meets for the Seahawks, that Paphos, Cyprus, native primarily competed in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles while also making one appearance in the 200-yard freestyle. At the Gamecock Invitational in November 2024, Kosta set personal bests in all three of those events. He swam a 20.36 50-yard freestyle, a 44.46 100-yard freestyle, and finished the 200-yard freestyle in 1:43.52.
In addition to Kosta, 13 freshmen are joining the roster:
- Kyler Beights
- Hometown: Lubbock, Texas
- High School: Lubbock-Cooper High Schhol
- Major: Exercise Science
- Main Events: 200-Free, 500-Free, 1000-Free, 1650-Free
- Aiden Tillis
- Hometown: Vestavia, Ala.
- High School: Vestavia Hill High School
- Major: Business
- Main Events: 200-Free, 500-Free, 1650-Free, 400-IM
- Maddax Thompson
- Hometown: Carbondale, Ill.
- High School: Carbondale Community High School
- Major: Agricultural Systems and Education
- Main Events: 100-Breast, 200-Breast, 200-IM, 400-IM
- Alex Odom
- Hometown: Brentwood, Calif.
- High School: Palmerston North Boys’ High School
- Major: Sports Administration
- Main Events: 100-Fly, 100-Back, 50-Free, 100-Free
- Mike Potts
- Hometown: North Little Rock, Ark.
- High School: Little Rock Central High
- Major: Accounting
- Main Events: 50-Free, 100-Breast, 100-Back, 200-Breast
- Ron Latwis
- Hometown: Palos Hills, Ill.
- High School: Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
- Major: Undecided
- Main Events; 6 Dives, 11 Dives
- Michael Morrow
- Hometown: Prosper, Texas
- High School: Prosper High School
- Major: Computer Science
- Main Events: 100-Back, 200-Back, 50-Free, 100-Free
- Peyton Selts
- Hometown: Miami, Fla.
- High School. Broward Virtual High School
- Major: Aviation Flight
- Main Events: 50-Free, 100-Free, 100-Fly
- Molly Henry
- Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.
- High School: Park Hill South High School
- Major: Exercise Science
- Main Event: 100-Back, 200-Back, 100-Fly, 100-Free
- Autumn Milford
- Hometown: Bentonville, Ark.
- High School: Bentonville West High School
- Major: Architecture
- Main Events: 500-Free, 1000-Free, 1650-Free, 400-IM
- Lívia Munkácsi-Nagy
- Hometown: Budapest, Hungary
- High School: Képzo- és Iparmuvészeti Szakgimnázium és Kollégium/ Secondary School and Dormitory of Fine and Applied Arts
- Major: Sport Administration or Art and Design
- Main Events: 200-Medley, 400-Medley, 100-Back, 200-Back
- Ellie Shaw
- Hometown: Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda
- High School: Antigua Girls’ High School
- Major: Animal Science – Pre-Vet Course
- Main Events: 50-Breast, 100-Breast, 200-Breast
- Freedom Toll
- Hometown: Prospect Heights, Ill.
- High School: John Hersey High School
- Major: Biology, Pre-Dental
- Main Events: 50-Free, 100-Free
Several of the freshmen arrive to SIU with numerous accolades in their back pockets.
Thompson participated in both the Winter Junior Nationals and Open Water Junior Nationals. Meanwhile, Odom was the national champion for the 100-yard fly among 17-18 year-olds in 2023. And Selts was Florida’s 4A state champion while also participating in the Junior Nationals.
On the women’s side, Henry was a state champion with her high school and also swam in the Futures. Milford qualified for the Winter Junior Nationals in the 1650 event, and Nagy took home second place in the Hungarian Junior National Championships in 2024; she then finished fourth in the 2025 Hungarian National Championships. Finally, Shaw made an appearance at the Paris Olympics in 2024, competing in the 100-yard breaststroke. She also swam the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke at the 2024 Short Course World Championships.
