Fesenko 1st IU woman to win national swim title

The Hoosiers made a strong impact on a national scale this weekend in West Lafayette, finishing 10th at the NCAA women’s swimming and diving national championships.

With 10 swimmers and two divers, the Hoosiers ended up with 133 points and finished as the top Big Ten team.

Many swimmers contributed to that point total, but senior Kate Fesenko was the star for IU.

Fesenko went into the meet as the top seed in the 200 backstroke but was set to compete in four other events.

On Friday, Fesenko was out-touched by less than .20 in the 100 backstroke.
Fesenko said she showed her best time and was happy with her second-place finish but was looking forward to her events on Saturday.

With the pressure on in the 200 backstroke, Fesenko delivered.

She broke the school and Big Ten record with a first-place finish. Fesenko is the first IU woman to win an NCAA swimming title.

“I don’t really think about winning or losing. I was ready to race and give my best to try
to win,” she said. “It is a great feeling, and representing IU is really important to me.”

After Fesenko’s win, the team continued to fight for points and a top-10 finish.

There were 281 athletes selected to compete based on times recorded throughout the season, and IU was one of only 11 schools to send a double-digit number of swimmers.

The Hoosiers struggled after the first day of competition, and the team was not happy about it.

“We were 23rd after the first day, and I know we all did not want to be 23rd,” junior Ashley Jones, who finished seventh in the 400 individual medley, said. “The next day we came out ready and swam really well.”

The determination moved IU up the rankings each day.

It was the Hoosiers’ third year in a row with a top-10 finish, but this year is special to to IU coach Ray Looze.

“I don’t think anyone would have picked them to win the Big Ten title or be a top-10 team,” Looze said.

Senior Amy Korthauer dove well in the platform competition on Saturday, placing fifth in the event.

The Hoosiers also excelled in the relays with a fifth-place finish, a school record, in the 800 freestyle.

Other top performances came from sophomore Marguax Farrell with a new school record and 11th-place finish in the 200 freestyle and sophomore Nikki White, claiming 12th in the 1,650 freestyle, 14th in the 200 freestyle and 15th in the 500-freestyle.

Sophomore Allysa Vavra finished 14th in the 200 breastroke.

The team’s individual and overall performances in this meet and throughout the season are some of the best in school history.

The Hoosiers set and broke records all year to culminate in an excellent showing at the national championships.

“It’s a testament to where the program is going,” Looze said. “We just like to work everyday, prepare and get what we deserve.”