Team well prepared to compete after long stint of practicing

For the IU men's swimming team, it's been all practice since Dec.1, when they closed out a second-place finish at the US Open. With Saturday's home dual meet approaching, the Hoosiers are eager to get back into competition. \n"Over the Christmas break, we did some tremendous training and obviously, we'd like to go fast enough to touch before Ohio State in a majority of events and win the meet," head coach Kris Kirchner said. "We're looking at seven more weeks until our Big Ten meet, and this is our first step, our first competition, in over a month. I'm looking forward to restarting the engine and getting things rolling back on track."\nIU is 24-16 against Ohio State all-time, but fell to the Buckeyes 149.5-93.5 last year. Junior David Schulze, who won the 200-yard breaststroke against the Buckeyes last season, said he is eager for revenge. \n"We really want to beat Ohio State this year because they got us last year," Schulze said. "There's only seven weeks left until Big Ten's and we've got only four meets before that to prepare ourselves. To get off on the right foot right away is important so we can build right off that."\nFollowing the Hoosiers' second-place finish at the US Open, the team earned a 22nd ranking on the College Swim Coaches Association of America Top 25. While Ohio State is unranked, Kirchner said he expects a close meet.\n"The teams match up pretty darned evenly," Kirchner said. "They're maybe a little behind in some events and we're behind in some events. They pretty much match up fairly evenly. We may have faster times on paper right now in most events, but every time we compete against them, they're very strong." \nSenior Heath Montgomery said the team hopes to win one for Kirchner, who is originally from Ohio.\n"As a team, I hope we all come out and are prepared to swim," Montgomery said. "It's a big meet. Coach really wants to win it; we all want to win it too. But it kind of hits home for him because Coach is from Ohio. We really want to win it for him."\nSchulze said the winter training has the team ready for Ohio State and for the rest of the season. \n"We've come together as a team outside of the pool; we've come together as a cohesive unit," Schulze said. "I think that's going to help with our performances when it comes time for Big Tens. In terms of training, I've seen a lot of guys really improve and I think that's going to show this weekend."\nOn the diving side of the competition, the Hoosiers first compete in the NCAA Zone Diving Championship at Purdue today before returning home to compete against Ohio State Saturday.\n"Purdue and Ohio State are two big conference rivals and we have a lot of respect for them," diving coach Jeff Huber said. "We\'re getting ready to dive well. I know they\'re a little tired, so we\'re going to try and rest before and be ready to dive well."\n The diving squad already competed in the Indiana Dive Off Jan. 4-6 and is eager to build on their performance. Sophomore Marc Carlton, although unable to compete on the final day of the event because of illness, won all five events the previous two days and was named Big Ten Diver of the Week. \n"I think he deserves it," Huber said. "He's an awful hard worker and a very talented and outstanding diver."\nCarlton said he expects strong performances out of the team and himself.\n"Overall, I think as a team, we\'re going to do great," Carlton said. "I feel like I'm just getting started. The meet I had last weekend, I dove about what I've been doing. Another few weeks of hard work and I can kick it up another 30 points and get over the 600 mark." \nThe competition begins at 1 p.m. at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.