South West Illinois News

Southern Illinois University (SIU) has something of a gene pool on its hands.

At least one Wolfe brother has been on the SIU swim team for the last eight years. In 2009, it was the oldest brother, Justin. In 2012, he was joined by Shaun, and now the youngest brother, Michael, is kicking off his senior season in the pool.

Michael Wolfe has been a top contributor to the Salukis swimming and diving team, winning multiple meets and securing a few top-five finishes at conference championships. In an SIU press release, the Bloomington, Indiana, native said that like many kids, the Wolfe brothers all took swimming lessons and developed a love for the water.

“We excelled at swimming early,” Wolfe said in the release. “I like to think that's because all three of us have a drive to be better at anything we did. Swimming is a sport where if you put in the work it will reflect back more so than other sports. In my opinion, it isn't about talent, but how hard you work."

All three Wolfe brothers found success in Carbondale. Justin claimed four conference titles and was named to the conference first team in 2011 and 2012. He also competed at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials but didn’t qualify for the team. Shaun swam on the record-setting 200-yard freestyle and medley relay teams.

Michael didn’t plan to follow in his brother's footsteps and thought about attending other colleges, but after visiting the SIU campus, he changed his mind. Now in his senior season, he is a team captain.

Last season, Michael took the top spot in the 200-yard freestyle at a meet against McKendree University and won the 1,650-yard freestyle in a meet against Butler University. He also finish in fourth at the Mid-American Conference Championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle. As team captain, Michael said he wants to motivate the team to work hard in and out of the pool during the upcoming season.

"Every day I come in and I do my best," he said in the release. "I do my best to motivate everyone around me. If I can inspire even one person to do the same after I'm gone, then I've done a good job."

SIU will open up the season in mid-September against Linwood University. Matches this season include going against Purdue, Kentucky and Missouri. SIU’s regular season will wrap up on Feb. 3 against Evansville. The Salukis will then take part in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships, which will kick off on Feb. 14 in Iowa City, Iowa. 

For more information on the Salukis swimming team or to view the team’s upcoming schedule, visit www.siusalukis.com.