New swimmer leads IU to Irish Invite title

The defending Big Ten champion women’s swimming and diving team started its season 1-4 and quickly fell out of the top 25.\nBut the Hoosiers shook off their early season struggles this weekend, scoring 1108.5 points and taking first place in the Notre Dame Invitational. IU outscored second-place No. 13 Michigan by 53.5 points. Notre Dame (898.5) and Illinois (442) placed third and fourth, respectively.\nThe team welcomed the arrival of sophomore transfer Kate Zubkova, who made an immediate impact for the team in her first eligible meet. She won the 100-yard backstroke in an NCAA A standard time of 54.18. The NCAA A standard times automatically qualifies Zubkova for post-season competition. \nIn the 200-yard backstroke, Zubkova won again and set a B standard time of 1:58.03. She contributed to victories in the 400-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay. Zubkova also placed first in the 100-yard butterfly.\nIt wasn’t just Zubkova’s performance that helped the Hoosiers to victory. \nJunior Allison Kay placed first in the 200-yard butterfly with a 2:00.83 B standard to lead IU to a sweep in the butterfly events. Kay won the 400-yard individual medley with a season best 4:17.89. Sophomore Brittany Feldman took the 1-meter diving title with a score of 305.40. \nSeveral Hoosiers were close behind Zubkova in her victories. Sophomore Presley Bard completed the 1-2 sweep in the 100-yard backstroke, while sophomore Donna Smailis finished right behind Zubkova in the 200-yard butterfly for another 1-2 finish.\nIU was never seriously challenged during the meet. Entering the final Saturday evening session, the team had a 100-point lead over Michigan. In the session’s first event, the 1,650 freestyle, freshman Amanda Smith set a career best and B standard mark of 16:39.59 for a second-place finish, and sophomore Cassie Luhrsen followed with a 16:41.22 to place third, as the Hoosiers secured their top position.\nThe victory avenges a Nov. 2 a 207-163loss to Michigan in a dual meet in Bloomington. Prior to the meet, IU coach Ray Looze said the team would “turn the tables” on Michigan. He felt the team, with the addition of Zubkova, was much improved from the one he saw in early November.\nOther top performances from the Hoosiers included three scorers in the 100-yard freestyle, led by a fourth-place finish by Smailis and a fifth-place finish by freshman Kelsey Atchison. Junior Sarah Stockwell had a season-best and NCAA B standard 2:17.81 time to place third in the 200-yard breaststroke.\nIU competes next Friday in a dual meet with No. 9 Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn.