Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support the IDS in College Media Madness! Donate here March 24 - April 8.
Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

sports

Hoosiers defend Big Ten title

IU Swim Team

The decisive win the IU women’s swimming and diving team had been looking for all year could not have come at a better time. The No. 14 Hoosiers became back-to-back Big Ten Champions on Saturday, finishing 185.5 points ahead of second-place Minnesota.

For the seniors, this means three conference championships in their four-year careers.

The Hoosiers went in as the underdogs but were first after day one. The team struggled in the second day this year, though, as is has in years past, falling to third.

“We were only 14 points behind the first team and after that day everyone knew it was going to be a good weekend,” senior Donna Smailis said.

Smailis set a school record in her first-place finish in the 100-meter freestyle.

IU coach Ray Looze said he expected a far worse scenario after the second day.

“Even though we were in third place, it was a confidence builder because we could have been in a big hole,” Looze said. “We were pretty fired up sitting where we were.”

IU only went up from that moment.

With seven individual titles and two relay wins, IU swam faster than it had all year by setting school records, career bests and NCAA “A cuts” — automatic qualifying times for nationals.

Junior Allysa Vavra finished first in the 400 individual medley with the second-fastest time in school history and an NCAA A cut.

“I never thought I could go that fast,” Vavra said. “That was actually faster than my goal time. It’s kind of weird to even get an ‘A’ time because those times are insanely fast.”

Senior Kate Fesenko set two Big Ten Records in the 200 butterfly and 200 backstroke. She remains undefeated in the latter event this season.

Fesenko was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year, Taylor Wohrley was named Big Ten Freshman of Year, seven swimmers and one diver were First Team All-Big Ten, and three swimmers were Second Team All-Big Ten.

The number of women receiving honors is reflected in Looze’s comments that it was a complete team effort.

“I have to credit all the girls, from the divers to the swimmers to the freshman to the seniors and everyone in between,” he said.

Sophomore diver Gabby Agostino led the divers with a first-place finish on the platform and third in the 1-meter springboard competition.

The final day ended with yet another record-breaking performance. Smailis, sophomore Brittany Strumbel, Wohrely and sophomore Margaux Farrell set a school record in the 400-meter freestyle relay, breaking the old record by nearly three seconds. Some people might not have thought the Hoosiers could swim as fast as they did, but Looze said the IU coaching staff did.

“We believed in them,” Looze said. “We talked to them all the time how if you really prepare well and work hard when you’re supposed to, good things like this can happen.”

Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe