18 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(02/07/03 6:08am)
The IU men's swimming and diving team (6-1, 5-1 Big Ten) will compete in its last two dual meets of the season this weekend before heading into the Big Ten and NCAA championships. \nThe seniors will swim their last dual meet at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center when they host Kentucky at 5 p.m. today. They will then travel to Boilermaker country to compete against No.18 Purdue 2 p.m. tomorrow. \nFirst year coach Ray Looze said both meets will be close and competitive. The Hoosiers defeated both the Wildcats and Boilermakers last year in dual meet action. But Looze said he believes Kentucky and Purdue will both pose challenges to the Hoosiers this year.\n"We certainly can win. We just need to get hot," Looze said. "I don't think we've had our best meet yet. If we pull it all together and give it a complete shot, then we could win." \nLooze said Kentucky is favored to win going into the meet based on the times that have been put up by both teams at this point in the season. He said the Wildcats will be tough because they have the depth on their team that the Hoosiers lack, and they also have a top backstroker, 200 yardfreestyler and diver. But Looze said he believes the Wildcat sprinters are equal to IU's which will create some stiff competition in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events and the 200-yard free relay.\nLooze said his team has been preparing for both meets by tapering, fine-tuning fundamentals and resting. Looze said he believes his team will have their work cut out for them when they face Purdue. Not only is it the last dual meet of the season but also the biggest rival meet of the season. Part of the challenge that lies ahead for the Hoosiers this weekend will be traveling to Purdue in between the two meets. The Boilermakers do not edge out the Hoosiers much in depth but do have better top swimmers. \n"They're both going to be really close meets," junior Mike Payne said. "In comparison to our teams they are both similar, so it's going to be tough, but I think we can pull it out."\nDiving coach Jeff Huber said this weekend will be a good contest for both swimming and diving. Huber said his divers have been preparing to perform well against Kentucky and Purdue by rehearsing their dives in practice. Huber said Purdue should have good competition from a couple guys if they are healthy, but he said the bigger challenge will be posed by the Wildcats. Junior All-American Marc Carlton will get to compete head-on in both the one-meter and three-meter with Kentucky's senior All-American Clayton Moss. \n"I think all of our guys are starting to look a lot better," Huber said. "But Carlton is really starting to come into his own." \nHuber said he has been pleased with the way his divers have been performing on the three and ten-meter, but said that the one-meter still needs work before they head into championship season later this month. Huber said he is hoping this weekend will give the divers another chance to work on their one-meter.
(01/31/03 5:51am)
A team that once won six National Championships and 23 Big Ten titles only finished 32nd overall in last year's NCAA's. But that has not discouraged first year IU men's swimming coach Ray Looze in the least. Looze accepted the job looking ahead to the future of the program.\nLooze said he knows the IU swimming and diving program is full of tradition and greatness, and he said he hopes to return the program to what it used to be.\nSo far this season, Looze is delivering that promise with a 6-1 record (4-1 in the Big Ten). But he said that there are still many tests left this season including dual meets against Purdue and Kentucky, the Big Ten Championship and the NCAA Championship in March. \nLooze said he is still optimistic that he will have seven to eight swimmers competing at the NCAA's but said his team still lacks depth. \nLooze is trying to fill in that lack of depth with a talented freshman class. Looze is excited to announce that four student-athletes have already signed letters-of-intent to attend IU beginning in the fall of 2003. \n"I look for kids that have a feel for the water when recruiting," Looze said. "I am looking for athletes similar to basketball players. Kids with big hands and feet, long arms and legs always make good swimmers. I also look for work ethic and perseverance in and out of the pool."\nJoining the Hoosiers squad next year will be Jesse Cleaver (Huntington, Ind.), Matthew Jensen (Valencia, Calif.), Matt Maley (Mount Vernon, Ohio) and Ryan McNeill (Yorba Linda, Calif.) \n"The four swimmers we signed should all be able to score at the Big Ten meet as freshmen," Looze said. "We could have the top recruiting class in the Big Ten."\nCleaver is the top graduating swimmer from Indiana. In 2002, Cleaver earned Indiana High School Swimming Coaches Association All-State honors after placing third in the 200-yard free and fourth in the 500-yard free at the Indiana High School Athletic Association State Swimming and Diving meet in 2002. He was also recognized by Prep Sports as one of its swimmers-of-the-year for 2002. Looze said Cleaver will swim the distance freestyles and butterfly events at IU. \nJensen was a three-time Most Valuable Player at Chaminade College Prep in West Hills, Calif. and was named to the Southern California All-Star Team in 2002. Looze said Jensen will add immediate depth to the butterfly and IM events next year.\nAt the 2002 Ohio High School Athletic Association meet, Maley placed third in the 100-yard butterfly and tenth in the 100-yard freestyle. Looze said Maley will be able to be the key third swimmer in the butterfly events along with sophomore Murph Halasz and Cleaver. \nMcNeill is the 2002 CIF District IV Champion and record-holder in the 100-yard fly and 500 freestyle. He was an All-Division finalist at the 2002 CIF Southern Sectional placing sixth in the 500 free and eighth in the 100 fly and was also named the Orange League Most Valuable Swimmer in 2000 and 2002.\nMcNeill not only did well in the pool but also in the classroom ranking among the top 10 percent of his graduating class and a member of the National Honor Society. He received the Valencia High School Distinguished Scholar award and won the Valencia School Scholar-Athlete award in 2002. Looze said that McNeill will add to the distance freestyle events and butterfly events. \nBut Looze said his freshman class for next season is not complete yet. He said he is still hoping to add middle distance freestyle events and breaststrokers. Looze did say that one distinct advantage he has over other coaches at other programs is the fact that IU has a beautiful campus with top academics and athletics and one great basketball team. \nIU diving coach Jeff Huber has also been busy recruiting for next year's team. Adding to the Hoosier's roster for the fall 2003 will be Taylor Roberts (Aurora, Colo.).\n"He is different than other coaches because he looks for recruits with ambition and honesty," junior All-American diver Marc Carlton said. "How much the kid really wants to do it and how much he is willing to sacrifice is important to Jeff."\nHuber said Roberts will add immediate impact to an already talented squad. Last year as a junior, Roberts was the Colorado Class 5A State Champion where he set a new state record of 521.60 (11 dives) and was a 2001 and 2002 Winter Nationals qualifier. Roberts was also an elite level gymnast and competed at the U.S. Nationals. \n"I think Taylor is really excited and feels it is a tremendous opportunity to come here," Huber said. "He is extremely talented and should do a nice job for us"
(01/17/03 6:14am)
The undefeated IU men's swimming and diving team (6-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will face their toughest challenge of the season when they travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. this weekend to swim against No. 1 Michigan (4-2, 1-0 Big Ten). \nFirst year coach Ray Looze said this meet should be the first real test for the Hoosiers as the Wolverines have one of the most talented squads in the nation. The Hoosiers have lost 13 of their last 15 dual meets to Michigan.\n"This meet will be a big challenge for us," Looze said. "They have a significant amount of talent, and to beat them would be a huge upset. We are going to try to win. We have no choice but to."\nLooze said his strategy against Michigan will be to try to win as many individual events as possible because the Wolverines have the depth on their squad that the Hoosiers lack. \nWhen IU swam ranked teams earlier this season they had mixed results. They were victorious against No. 20 Northwestern, but placed ninth in a field of nine at the Texas Invitational in Austin, Texas. But Looze said he does not look at that as discouragement. He said he instead looks at is as a challenge and a goal for his team. \n"Michigan represents what we want to do with our program," Looze said. "We need to swim more of those types of programs." \nThe swimmers have been training hard in practice and swimming at their highest level of intensity since their winter training trip over winter break in Miami, Fla. Looze said IU has not beaten the Wolverines in some time, and if they win this weekend it could be considered the greatest upset in swimming for the year. \nAfter defeating Ohio State last weekend on the road, junior backstroker Matt Leach said he is optimistic about IU's chances.\n"I think we are moving forward really well," Leach said. "Overall, we're definitely going in the right direction, but this will be a hard opponent for us." \nRight now the team is swimming well together which should help against Michigan, Leach said. \nOn the diving side, coach Jeff Huber said he has been pleased with the progress his team is making. \n"We are doing well and we only have one or two things to work on," Huber said. "We still need to get more comfortable and tough."\nHuber said Michigan has a squad that will be competitive with IU on both the one and three-meter boards. The Wolverines' best diver, junior All-American Jason Coben will go head-to-head in both events with junior Hoosier All-American Marc Carlton. Coben was victorious in both events last season against the Hoosiers, but Huber said Carlton's performance last weekend at Ohio State was outstanding, as he won both the one and three-meter events.\nThe dual meet action will take place in Ann Arbor, Mich. at the Donald B. Canham Natatorium at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
(01/15/03 4:28am)
After defeating Ohio State for the first time in two years this past weekend, the IU men's swimming and diving team is heading in the right direction as they enter the toughest part of the season. \n"We hadn't beaten Ohio State for some time," swim coach Ray Looze said. "I was pretty pleased. I think we're on track towards what we want to accomplish."\nDuring winter break, the swimmers traveled to Miami for their winter training trip. The Hoosiers trained at a higher intensity while in Florida. Looze said it seems to have paid off against the Buckeyes. \n"We really focused on what we needed to do," junior Matt Leach said. "We did a lot of team building activities, and it was a positive experience for everyone there."\nBut Looze said he feels the team still has not been tested to the fullest. Looze said he believes his team has yet to completely finish off an opponent. In the Ohio State meet, the Hoosiers won seven of the 11 events, but lost a couple that Looze said they should have won, which kept the meet close. \nThe Hoosiers will face No. 1 Michigan this week, and Looze said his team will have to bring nothing but their highest level of intensity. Purdue and Kentucky still remain in their schedule before the Big Ten and NCAA championships begin, which should both be close dual meets. \nThe diving team had a busy weekend competing in the America's Cup meet and at Ohio State. The America's Cup Diving meet was held at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center, and it featured nationally and internationally ranked divers. \nJunior All-American Marc Carlton qualified for the quarterfinals, but lost in that round to Tennessee sophomore Phillip Jones. But Carlton did qualify for the World trials and the Olympic trials on both the 10-meter and three-meter dives. Freshman Brian Mariano qualified for the World trials on the 10 and three-meter dives, and senior Adam Hazes also qualified on the three-meter. At Ohio State, Carlton placed first on both the one and three-meter, and Hazes took third in both events.\nDiving coach Jeff Huber said he was pleased with the team's performance during the weekend. \n"We got in there and mixed it up with some national and international divers at the America's Cup," Huber said. "The team feels really good about their progress. And at Ohio State Marc did an outstanding job. He gave one of the best performances anyone has done at Ohio State." \nHuber said his team still has a couple skills they need to fine-tune. He said that the team mainly just needs to become more comfortable and aggressive in their dives.
(12/12/02 5:31am)
After finals wrap up next week, most IU students will be heading home to their families for a few weeks to relax and take a break from all the hustle and bustle of school. But for the men's swimming and diving team, they will have about a week break and then will return to school on Dec. 28 to begin training for the toughest part of the season. \nThe swim team will be heading to Miami, Fla. for their winter training trip, while the diving team will be training in Bloomington to prepare to host the America's Cup Diving Meet.\nThe Hoosiers returned from the Texas and Miami (Ohio) invitationals this past weekend where they faced some stiff competition. The top eleven Hoosiers competed at the Texas Invite where they tied for ninth. The remainder of the squad and the diving team competed at the Miami Invite where they placed eighth. \nAt both invitationals, coach Ray Looze said the Hoosiers were at a disadvantage because they were not shaved and tapered like many of the other teams were. But they did see some fast swimming, which allowed them to put in many season and career best times. Junior sprinter Dale Ramsy also said the Texas Invite gave the top eleven Hoosiers a good indication of who they may see at the NCAA championships, as well as allowed them to swim at the host facility of the 2003 NCAAs. \n"We have a new understanding and a new definition of what fast is," Ramsy said.\nThe Hoosiers are now looking ahead to the hardest part of the season which will begin in the new year at Ohio State. The Hoosiers will also face Michigan, Purdue and Kentucky in dual meets and the Big Ten and NCAA Championships next semester. The winter training trip in Miami will allow the swimmers to swim outside, and train at a higher level of intensity and quality to prepare for their tough upcoming schedule.\n"We are going to try to get to the point in practice where we are swimming very fast," Looze said. "We are looking for a higher quality and generally faster swimming." \nLooze said he still has hopes that seven or eight guys will qualify for the NCAAs. \nThe diving team returned from the Miami Invite this weekend after an impressive performance. On the one-meter finals, junior Marc Carlton led the way placing second. Freshman Brian Mariano and sophomore Ryan Fagan placed third and fourth, junior Alex Burns placed fifth and senior Adam Hazes placed sixth, respectively. Carlton, Mariano, Hazes and Fagan also placed 1-2-3-4 in the preliminaries of the three-meter, but were unable to compete in the finals because they had to return to Bloomington. \nThe Hoosiers have been continuing their training but will take a break for about a week after finals. When they return to Bloomington, they will be training hard on the one-meter, three-meter and platform to prepare to host the America's Cup Diving Meet. The America's Cup will feature nationally and internationally ranked divers that have the potential to compete in the 2004 Olympics including Carlton and Mariano. \nThe team will also be training for the upcoming dual meets and Big Ten and NCAA championships. While all six divers will be working hard on their one and three-meter events by preparing new dives with high degrees of difficulty, they will be training extra-hard on platform. \n"One of our strengths is that we are one of the few teams that all dive on platform," Mariano said. \nThe America's Cup Diving Meet will be held at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center on Jan. 7-12. The Hoosiers will face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Jan. 11 in Columbus, Ohio.
(12/05/02 5:16am)
After resting for a couple days over the Thanksgiving break, the IU men's swimming and diving team is back in the pool preparing for the Texas Invitational and the Miami (OH) Invitational this weekend Dec. 5-7. The top 11 Hoosiers will be heading to Texas while the remainder of the squad and the diving team will be heading to Miami (OH).\n"Everyone's goal is to get the best times so far this season at both meets since we have had time to rest," junior Adam Goff said. \nThe 5-0 Hoosiers (3-0 in the Big Ten) were last victorious right before break when they hosted four other teams at the Indiana Invitational at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. At the Indiana Invite, the Hoosiers beat out second place team University of Cincinnati by a score of 1,149-968 points. But both the Texas and Miami Invitationals will be more competitive for IU. \nAt the Texas Invitational, the Hoosiers will face many ranked opponents which will give them a taste of the competition that will be at NCAA Championships including No. 3 Texas, No. 5 Cal-Berkley, No. 6 USC, No. 11 Arizona State, No. 13 Wisconsin, No. 15 Arizona, No. 22 Harvard, and No. 24 Hawaii. The Miami Invitational will allow the Hoosiers to match up against Cincinnati again, as well as many other competitive squads. \n"The Texas meet will be very competitive, and Miami will have good teams," swimming coach Ray Looze said. "Both of the meets will be much more challenging (than the Indiana Invitational)." \nBecause these two meets will be more challenging, the Hoosiers will swim mainly their top events, and not as many "off" events. The strong sprinting contingent of juniors Claes Andersson, Dale Ramsy, Mike Payne and sophomore Nicolas Burgess will be looked at to lead the team in Texas. The foursome went one, two, four, and seven in the finals of the 50-yard freestyle at the Indiana Invitational and hope to place in the top eight at the Texas Invite. \n"We want to do as well as what we can do," Payne said. "We want to go in and do our job." \nThe diving team has been preparing for the Miami Invitational as well by resting some last week and training hard especially on platform this week. \n"We are doing a little bit more on platform this week," diving coach Jeff Huber said. "That is one of our tougher events so hopefully we will be prepared for this meet." \nHuber said he hopes his team will compete well in all three events including the one-meter, three-meter, and platform. Huber also said that he believes if his team dives up to their potential, they could win all three events.
(11/26/02 5:17am)
Challenges a person undertakes can often make them tougher. Junior co-captain diver Marc Carlton has been through many challenges throughout his diving career here at IU. Carlton came to IU as a four-time high school All-American selection and a four-time New York state champion. He also placed fourth on the one-meter at the 1999 Junior National Championships. \nBut as a freshman at IU, Carlton was faced with the challenge of making changes in his dives, learning new dives and adjusting to a new coaching staff. These were all changes Carlton welcomed, but it took him all season to adjust. Carlton said his freshman year was a learning experience as he challenged himself to learn many new dives, but did not make it to any finals in the postseason. \nCarlton said it was not until midway through his sophomore season that his diving really began to click for him. Last year he came out placing 12th on the three-meter at the 2002 NCAA Championships, which earned him All-American honors for the first time in college. He also placed second in the exhibition platform competition, fifth on the one-meter and seventh on the three-meter at the 2002 Big Ten Championships. At the 2002 U.S .Outdoor National Diving Championships, Carlton placed sixth on the 10-meter and earned himself a spot on the U.S. National Diving Team for the first time. \nCarlton now not only looks to break Mark Lenzi's school record on the three-meter this season, but said he believes he can win all three events at the 2003 Big Ten Championships if he has a great day. He has also set a goal to be at the top in the 2003 NCAAs. Along with freshman diver Brian Mariano, Carlton said he hopes to compete well in the America Cup this January. The event will showcase national divers that will be contending for a spot on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Diving Team. \nCoach Jeff Huber said he believes Carlton can accomplish these goals this season.\n"He has a lot of guts," Huber said. "He is very tough physically and is a hard worker and is dedicated. He wants to succeed and is motivated to do so." \nCarlton said that it is thanks to Huber that he is tough and is where he is today in his diving career and in his life. Huber has been named the National Diving Coach-of-the-Year five times and has coached many national and Olympic team members throughout his career. \nBut Carlton's teammates have also pushed him to become a better diver. Carlton said one of the biggest reasons he chose IU two years ago was because he knew the team atmosphere here would be phenomenal. Carlton is joined on the men's diving team by senior co-captain Adam Hazes, Mariano, junior Alex Burns, sophomore Ryan Fagan, sophomore Brian Metzler and freshman Yahya Radman. Together, they form a team that is one of the strongest in the Big Ten.\nHazes, who finished eighth on the one-meter and fourth on the three-meter at the 2002 Big Tens, said Carlton's work ethic has made him a great diver. \n"Marc is a successful diver because he has a drive that is amazing," Hazes said. "He does so much more than anyone on the team to improve his diving. He will take that extra effort, by doing things outside the pool that would improve his diving." \nCarlton is humbled by his accomplishments in and out of the pool.\n"I don't think I have as much talent as the other guys on my team do, but I know how to goal-set," Carlton said. "Coach Huber helps me a lot with that. I stay real realistic with what I do and that helps me to succeed"
(11/22/02 5:15am)
The undefeated IU men's swimming and diving team will play host to four other teams at the Indiana Invitational this weekend at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The Indiana Invitational is a three-day event that is set-up like a championship meet with preliminary races during the morning sessions and finals occurring in the early evening. \nIU (4-0, 3-0 in Big Ten) goes into this meet after upsetting the No. 20 ranked Northwestern Wildcats with a score of 158-140. \nThe invitational is different than a dual meet because the swimmers will be able to swim "off" events and a lot more events. In a dual meet, a coach puts together what will be the fastest line-up to win the meet. Not every Hoosier has swam every event thus far in the season that they are capable of. First year IU coach Ray Looze said this meet will give the swimmers a chance to experiment a little bit in different events, but that does not mean they will not be swimming hard in the event.\n"We take every competition seriously," Looze said. "But we are going to explore where we might use guys in future dual meets."\nThe Hoosiers placed second in the invitational last season falling to Texas A&M, but this year the IU men are favored to win the event. Clemson University, University of Miami (Fla.), University of Evansville, and University of Cincinnati will round out the field at the invitational. Looze said the field of teams is not as competitive as last year, but will still be a good challenge for the Hoosiers. \nLooze said that Evansville is in a transition year with a new coaching staff so they are not as strong as they have been in years past. IU swept the Purple Aces earlier this season with a 135-106 victory. Looze added that Cincinnati has some very good athletes but no depth, and Clemson is solid but not strong. Miami is only bringing four swimmers to the invitational because their program is in the process of being dropped, but Looze said that their divers they will bring are some of the best in the country. \nThe Hoosiers have been continuing their work-outs since their last win over Northwestern to get ready for the invitational competition.\n"We have been training extra hard," junior Rob Dabrowski said. "We have been training up to standard in practice."\nThe diving team has been preparing for an intense and hard weekend as well. The invitational will give the divers a chance to feel out the competition that could potentially be at the championships at the end of the season, including a very talented Miami team. This meet will also allow divers to qualify for the championships in the collegiate events. \nCoach Jeff Huber said his team has been looking good in practice and he added he hopes all of them dive well this weekend. Huber also said he has rested his divers a little bit because this weekend will be demanding on them. The divers will compete in both the one-meter and three-meter competitions on Friday, then again on Saturday in an open one and three-meter event, and on Sunday on the platform, which could perhaps be the most exciting competition of the weekend. \n"This is going to be a very competitive meet," Huber said. "Anyone that comes to this meet is going to see some excellent diving and I hope we are a part of that excellent diving." \nThe men will be joined by the women's teams at the Indiana Invitational which kicks off this Friday with preliminary competitions beginning at 9:30 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m. The event will again take place at 9:30 a.m. for prelims and 6 p.m. for finals on Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. for prelims and 3:30 p.m. for finals on Sunday.
(11/08/02 5:27am)
The IU men's swimming and diving team is ready to play host to No. 18 Northwestern 1 p.m. Saturday at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The 3-0 Hoosiers have been working hard in practice all week to prepare to upset the Wildcats. \n"We have just been trying to swim fast in work-out so we are ready to go," coach Ray Looze Jr. said. "The guys are positive and we have an undefeated home record to defend." \nLooze said Northwestern will be a tough team to beat because their top swimmers could potentially win all of the events. But he plans on making a creative line-up in hopes to be competitive enough to win. Looze said his team needs to win the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events in order to stay in the meet. \nLeading the way for the Hoosiers in the two events will be junior sprinter Claes Andersson. Andersson had to miss the Iowa meet due to injury which showed IU is capable of winning under adverse conditions. But the Wildcats will be a tougher opponent than the Hawkeyes. \nLooze said IU and Northwestern both lack depth on their teams, but the Wildcat's top swimmers are faster than IU's top swimmers. He said he hopes the outside lane swimmers step up on Saturday just as they did against Iowa to score extra points that will be needed.\n"We need our third and fourth fastest swimmers to step up and perform like our top guys in each event in order to win," sophomore freestyler Brian Ellsworth said. "We need a total team effort to win and I think it is something we are capable of." \nLooze said the team has been working on their fundamentals, and their execution has improved each week in practice, but their turns and starts will need to be flawless against Northwestern. Looze said in order to beat a Top 20 team, mistakes can't be made. \nDiving coach Jeff Huber was disappointed with the diving team's performance against Iowa, but he has a positive outlook for Saturday's meet.\n"I think they came in with a kind of renewed vigor and more of a focus this week," Huber said. "But we aren't doing anything to rest or really prepare for this meet." \nHuber said the team needs to be ready each week to compete in dual meets, but their overall goal is to train hard every week for the championships at the end of the season. He said the team has been training hard on platform for the end of the season, but has also been focusing on their 1-meter and 3-meter dives as well. Huber said he is not concerned with the Northwestern divers and hopes to see improvement from IU on the 1 and 3-meter. If the team wins it will be even more pleasing. \n"I think Coach Huber has been a little more pleased," sophomore Ryan Fagan said. "He just wants us to focus on what we're doing as a team and not worry as much about the competition." \nThe Hoosiers hope that competing at home will give them an advantage over the Wildcats. Looze said he hopes to keep the meet competitive until the very end. \n"If we can bring this meet to the last relay, we could win," Looze said.
(11/04/02 5:01am)
The IU men's swimming and diving team improved to 3-0 after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 162-138 Friday at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.\nThe Hoosiers battled their way in the pool in almost every race, winning 10 of the 13 events. But first year IU coach Ray Looze said it was the team's heart that helped them win the meet. Top sprinter Claes Andersson was injured, forcing Looze to move some swimmers around to events they don't ordinarily swim to help earn more points. Looze added it was the determination of the bottom guys that forged the victory.\n"This win allows us to know we can win a tough meet under adverse conditions," Looze said. \nThe Hoosiers won the first three events of the meet which gave them some confidence. The team of junior Matt Leach, senior captain Dave Schulze, sophomore Murph Halasz and junior Dale Ramsy won the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:32.22. Sophomore Temujin Gold took the 1000-yard freestyle, swimming a time of 9:40.37 and sophomore Richard Bryant won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:42.22.\nSchulze had a big meet, posting wins in all three of his individual events. Schulze won the 100 and 200-yard breast events and the 200-yard individual medley with times of 56.85, 2:04.55 and 1:53.66 respectively. \n"Today was a hard day," Schulze said. "We had to race hard for every win we got. It is just a matter of staying focused and digging deep when you have too."\nHalasz won the 200-yard butterfly in a time of 1:48.72, and sprinters Ramsy and junior Mike Payne went 1-2 in the 50-yard freestyle. Leach slightly edged out Iowa's Andrei Ciurca in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:52.72, and Bryant was victorious in the 500 free, swimming a time of 4:39.80. \nLooze said he was happy with the effort and how hard the team raced, but said they now need to prepare for a tougher Northwestern team. He said the team needs to continue working on the fundamentals that have been set as standards by the coaches for the Northwestern meet next weekend. \n"We still need to execute a lot better," Looze said. "Our turns were not where they need to be. We need to focus, concentrate, and execute."\nThe diving team helped to clinch the win, but coach Jeff Huber was still not fully satisfied with the team's performance. Huber said Iowa is a very talented team, and that IU was tired from hard workouts in practice all week, but it was still no excuse to not dive better. \n"We could have looked a lot better," Huber said. "I was a little surprised. I didn't think we dove up to our potential." \nSenior Hawkeye Roberto Gutierrez won the 1-meter competition with a score of 280.88 followed closely by sophomore Brian Mariano's score of 268.05 for IU. On the 3-meter, All-American Marc Carlton barely defeated Iowa junior Timo Klami 305.70-305.03.\nOn the women's side, competition was fierce and the score close as the No. 13 Hoosiers knocked off the No. 14 Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Friday. The Hoosiers beat Notre Dame 154-146 after the entire 16 event meet came down to the last race, the 400-yard freestyle relay. \nThe Hoosiers were trailing the Irish by one point going into the final race. Freshman Nina Thurston, senior Anne Williams, and sophomore Tammy Kostner swam the first three legs of the relay. When junior Meghan Medendorp took the blocks to begin the last leg of the relay, the Hoosiers were 1.11 seconds behind. Medendorp made up the difference and IU edged the Irish by 68 hundredths of a second, claiming the victory.\nJunior Sarah Fiden came through for her team with wins in the 1000 and 500-yard freestyles in times of 9:59.65 and 4:56.96 respectively. Fiden was supported by fellow junior Brooke Tafflinger who finished third in the 1000. Tafflinger also won the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:19.77 and took second place in the 400-yard individual medley.\nNotre Dame was not the only team to be taken down by the power of the IU women's swim team. The Fighting Illini of Champaign, Ill., succumbed to a 178-117 defeat on Saturday.\nFiden was IU's only double winner of the day in the 1000 and 500-yard freestyles. Fiden won the 1000 for the third straight meet in a row in a time of 10:06.06. Teammate freshman Doherty Colgin took second and junior Erin Gorlesky took third.\nThe IU divers went to work against the Illini, sweeping both diving events. Junior Cassie Cardinell claimed first on the one-meter with a score of 315.10. She was followed by teammates Hildebrand and Matthys. Hildebrand and Cardinell switched positions in the three-meter diving event.\nAfter taking second in the 50-yard freestyle, Medendorp won the 100 freestyle in 52.56. Senior Colleen McCracken aided the Hoosiers by winning the 200-yard backstroke in 2:06.00. \nFor full coverage, see http://www.idsnews.com/sports.
(11/01/02 5:58am)
After sweeping Evansville and winning 12 of 13 events against Michigan State, the 2-0 IU men's swimming and diving teams look to continue their winning ways. Today, the Hoosiers host the 0-1 Iowa Hawkeyes at 5 p.m. at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.\nWhen IU and Iowa met last season in Iowa City, the Hoosiers were victorious with a score of 169-130. IU leads the overall series against Iowa 18-12, including an 8-4 record in Bloomington. But that does not mean that the Hoosiers will be taking the Hawkeyes lightly. \nFirst year IU coach Ray Looze said Iowa will be gunning for IU to avoid an 0-2 start. \n"Iowa will be taking the meet seriously," Looze said. "They do not want to be 0-2. I have told the team that teams that swim fast in practice, swim fast in meets. I have asked them to crank up the intensity." \nLooze hopes to open the meet with three consecutive wins in the 200-yard medley, the 1000-yard freestyle and the 200-yard freestyle. Looze's philosophy on his opponents is that if you can hit them hard and early in the meet, then you can usually defeat them. \nJunior backstroker Matt Leach said all of the races today should come down to the finish. \n"Iowa has pretty good depth," Leach said. "I think that a lot of the races will be close." \nLeach also said senior captain Dave Schulze will be a swimmer to watch for today. Schulze, who is IU's top breaststroker, will be swimming the 200-yard freestyle and the 200-yard breaststroke two events later. Leach said he believes Schulze is ready to swim fast and lead the team to victory, even with those two events so close together. \nDiving coach Jeff Huber said the diving team has been hard at work doing less drills and practicing more competitive dives to prepare for Iowa.\n"Iowa has some outstanding divers," Huber said. "This will be a good test for us. They will be a tough team." \nHuber said his team is healthy and he plans to compete six divers against Iowa. Last week against Michigan State, Huber said he was pleased with what he saw on the 1-meter but was disappointed with the team's performance on the 3-meter. He added he hopes both competitions will go better today against Iowa. \nOn the one-meter at the meet against the Spartans, junior Alex Burns shattered his career best by 50 points and qualified for the NCAA Zones with a 321.23 score. Against the Hawkeyes, junior All-American Marc Carlton will continue his quest to break Mark Lenzi's 3-meter record. \nBurns' efforts against the Spartans earned him the nod as Big Ten Diver of the Week.\n"Great for him, he deserves it, he has come a long way," Huber said in a statement. "He was most improved diver last year and to win this is quite an accomplishment. Alex has trained hard. I think he is starting to see how much talent he has and what level he can dive up to."\nThe Hoosiers hope their home pool advantage and talent will be enough to overcome Iowa's speed.\n"We have a hungry group of guys here,"Looze said, "so I will take my chances with them"
(10/29/02 5:23am)
The newest and most impressive addition to the men's swim team isn't a freshman, but a well versed veteran of collegiate swimming. \nThis past June athletics director Michael McNeely named Ray Looze Jr. as the eighth head swimming coach in school history. Looze inherited a team that placed seventh in the Big Ten and 32nd overall last season. \nBut IU swimming programs of the past are filled with tradition and six national championships and 23 Big Ten titles. So far Looze likes what he sees with the team, but he knows that heavy recruiting is needed to give more depth to the team in order to win championships..\nLooze does not believe this team has a lack of talent to bring their rankings back to the Top 20.\n"We had three swimmers and one diver qualify for the NCAA's last year," Looze said. "We have seven or eight guys that could make the 2003 NCAA's in a perfect world. If we do that, I think we have the program more than pointed back in the right direction."\nLooze's positive outlook for the season has his swimmers looking upbeat as well.\n"I really like him," sophomore butterflyist Murph Halasz said. "He is very positive, very idealistic. He is hard but fair, and he knows what he is talking about. He is pushing us to do what we should have been doing all along."\nEarly in the season the Hoosiers are 1-0 in the Big Ten Conference and are 2-0 overall, but their schedule will only get harder as the season progresses. \nLooze comes to IU with an impressive resumé. His last job was as head men's and women's swimming coach at the University of the Pacific (1997-2002). During his reign at Pacific, Looze was named the Big West Men's Swimming Coach-of-the-Year four times and once as the Big West Women's Swimming Coach-of-the-Year. This past season Looze led both teams to the Big West Championships. The men's team ended University of California-Santa Barbara's string of 23-consecutive conference championships and earned its first title since 1974. At the same meet, the Pacific women's team which featured three All-America selections won its first-ever Big West title and ended the season placing 15th overall at the NCAA Championships.\nPrior to coaching at Pacific, Looze was the head coach at the Peddie School in Highstown, NJ, from 1993-95. During this time, he led the prestigious prep school to Swimming World's mythical national championship. Looze was a men's swimming graduate assistant at the University of Texas when the Longhorns won the 1991 NCAA National Championship. Looze was also a men's swimming assistant coach at Harvard University from 1992-1993. At the club level, Looze coached the Phoenix Swim Club from 1995-96. He also coached at Tiger Aquatics in Stockton, Calif. during his tenure at Pacific. \nLooze is not only a nationally recognized coach, but was also a nationally acclaimed swimmer. Looze, a native of the San Francisco bay area, was a four-time All America selection and placed in the top-10 in eight NCAA Championship events during his career at the University of Southern California. He finished second in the 400-yard IM at the 1990 NCAA Championships and earned a spot on the 1990 Goodwill Games team. At the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials, Looze just missed qualifying for the games placing third in the 400 IM and fifth in the 200 IM. \nLooze performed well in the pool and in the classroom. He became the first non-football playing Trojan in school history to earn GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. He was named USC's Scholar-Athlete of Year and a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship in 1989. In 1990, Looze was a finalist for the NCAA Byers Award. He was also an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winner. He graduated from USC with a Bachelor's degree in business finance with summa cum laude honors. Looze went on to graduate school at the University of Texas, Austin, and earned a Master's degree from the School of Education. \n"Our mission is to prepare student-athletes for championship competition," McNeely said in a press release. "This means performance in the classroom, and in life. We are fully confident that Ray will provide outstanding leadership for successfully building upon the IU swimming program's championship history"
(10/28/02 6:11am)
The IU men's swimming and diving team won their first Big Ten meet of the season Friday 129 to 104 against Michigan State at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The Hoosiers (2-0) won 12 of the 13 events against the Spartans.\n"The effort level was outstanding," coach Ray Looze Jr. said. "I thought the spirit of the team was great. We were in control of the meet the whole time."\nIU came out ready, taking both first and second place in the 400-yard medley relay. The winning team with a time of 3:22.90 consisted of juniors Matt Leach and Dale Ramsy, senior Dave Schulze and sophomore Murph Halasz.\nThe strong sprinting force of the Hoosiers swept the first four finishes in the 50-yard freestyle. Junior Claes Andersson who had to sit out during the Evansville meet due to injury won the event with a time of 20.64. Ramsy placed second at 20.85. Junior Mike Payne took third with a time of 21.20, and sophomore Nicolas Burgess swam a time of 21.45 to place fourth. Payne was victorious in the 100 free swimming a time of 46.48.\nSophomore Richard Bryant dominated in the distance freestyle events winning both the 500 and 1000 with times of 4:34.20 and 9:29.26 respectively.\nHalasz added two more victories by winning the 200-yard butterfly and the 200-yard IM. The school record holder in the 200 fly swam a time of 1:50:19 beating his opponent from Michigan State by nearly six seconds. Halasz's time in the 200 IM was 1:59:40.\nThe backstrokers showed their depth by going 1-2-3 in the 200. Junior Matt Leach won with a time of 1:52:16 followed by freshman Mike Jones and sophomore Niles Madison.\nThe one event the Hoosiers did not win was the 200-yard free. Senior captain and breaststroker Dave Schulze finished with a time of 1:41:52, but was edged out by Michigan State's Joe Brennan who swam a winning time of 1:41:34. Schulze did win his 200-yard breaststroke event with a time of 2:02:67.\nIU went 1-2 in the 400 free relay with Burgess, Payne, Andersson and Ramsy swimming a winning time of 3:05.81.\nThe diving team displayed their talent on the 1-meter, but coach Jeff Huber said he was disappointed with the team's performance on the 3-meter.\n"I am always pleased with the team's effort," Huber said. "Our performance on 1-meter was much better, but the 3-meter could have definitely looked better. We have an enormous amount of talent; it is just my responsibility to bring it all out."\nJunior Alex Burns had a breakthrough performance on the 1-meter. He won the event shattering his 1-meter career best by nearly 50 points scoring a 321.23 which is enough to qualify him for the NCAA Zones.\nThe 3-meter competition was won by junior All-American Marc Carlton with a score of 342.45.\nAll in all, the Hoosiers competed well against Michigan State, but they have yet to face a team they can't beat.\n"This meet was a better indicator than Evansville," Halasz said. "But we still haven't been tested yet"
(10/25/02 5:40am)
The last time the IU men's swimming and diving team met the Michigan State Spartans in regular dual meet season was Jan. 30, 2000 at Michigan State. The Hoosiers lost 148 to 95. At 5 p.m. today at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center, the Hoosiers will look to avenge that loss and win their conference opener. \nLast week, IU easily swept Evansville, but today the Hoosiers will face a more evenly matched Spartan team. Coach Ray Looze said he expects the meet to be very competitive and for the final score to be very close. Looze has been working the team hard in practice all week to prepare for Michigan State, he said.\n"I am one of those believers that the faster you go in practice, the faster you swim in a meet," Looze said. "We want to eliminate a lot of mistakes we made last week against Evansville like in relay starts, turns and finishes. We want to be the best we can be." \nLooze said it will be critical for the Hoosiers to win the 200-yard medley relay, and the 1000 and 200 freestyle events. He added that he thinks that if his team can win these three events today, then they will be in control of the meet. \n"Our strategy will be to hit them hard early," Looze said. \nLooze said all the races will be exciting to watch and should come down to the finishes, but one race in particular to watch for will be the 200-yard freestyle. Senior captain David Schulze and sophomore Richard Bryant will be racing the Spartan's top swimmer, senior Joe Brennan, in this event. \nLooze said he thinks that if IU can win that race and beat Michigan State's best swimmer, it could be psychologically damaging to the Spartans. \nThe 200-yard IM featuring sophomore Murph Halasz and junior Matt Leach will also be another key race to watch. \nLooze did note one distinct advantage IU has over Michigan State: the diving team. Coached by Jeff Huber, the IU men's diving team is one of the best in the Big Ten. Looze said the diving team should win both the 1-meter and 3-meter event, which would give the Hoosiers more points towards the final score. \nLed by co-captains junior Marc Carlton and senior Adam Hazes, Huber said all of his divers are healthy, and he plans to have six divers competing. \n"I think we are a stronger team than them," Huber said. "We will be using some more difficult dives. I'd like to see our divers step it up on the more difficult dives. I am looking to challenge them." \nLast weekend the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center was alive with over 800 Hoosiers. Halasz said he hopes the fans once again come in droves for today's meet. \n"We had a lot of fans," Halasz said. "I was really surprised. I hope to see that again"
(10/24/02 6:01am)
This April will mark a new addition to the ever-popular Little 500 events. Runners will now get to showcase their talents in the first annual Little Fifty. Patterned after the Little 500, the Little Fifty will feature a men's and women's relay style running race competing for glory and for a good cause. The race will be 50 laps (12.5 miles) and is sure to be as spirited and exciting as the Little 500. Qualifications to set the 33 team fields will take place on April 6, 2003 followed by the main event on April 13. \nThe idea for the Little Fifty came from IU alumnus and avid runner Ray Jordan. A huge fan of the Little 500, Jordan approached IUSF Director Jonathan Purvis over a year ago with the idea of creating a running race similar to the successful Little 500 cycling race.\n"The initial response has been really positive," Purvis said. "So far, we have been marketing it through word of mouth. I think it (the race) makes sense. You walk on campus, and you always see a lot of runners." \nIUSF said the Little Fifty may evolve even more quickly than the Little 500 did because it is an event everyone can get involved in.\n"Everyone I have mentioned the event to has been pretty excited," senior Brian Gaylord said. "There's no cost for bikes like in the Little 500 or a requirement for a large number of participants like in IU Sing. Because of this, we think it will be an immediate success." \nGaylord is on the IUSF Steering Committee and is in charge of marketing for the event.\nSenior IUSF Steering Committee member Brittany Van Trees has been hard at work creating a Little Fifty runner's manual with rules and regulations that will model the Little 500 rider's manual.\n"We have developed a runner's council that I meet with," Van Trees said. "This group of ten runners meets with the rules and regulations committee, and we revise and edit different aspects of the race." \nThe Little Fifty will also be raising money like the Little 500 does to benefit others. Each Little Fifty team will designate a charity they will be running for. The proceeds from the event will then go to the designated philanthropy of the winning team. This will help bring the Bloomington community to the race, as well as motivate the runners even more to win. \n"I think people will pick charities that are local but ones that they have some sort of connection towards," senior Marisa Indelicato said. "We look forward to inviting these charities to the race to show how many people truly care about their cause." \nIndelicato is a part of the IUSF Steering Committee and is responsible for recruiting runners and volunteers for the Little Fifty. \nAny undergraduate student is eligible to form a four-person team and compete in the newest addition to the "World's Greatest College Weekend." There will be a runner's call-out meeting at 8 p.m. Nov. 5 in Geology 126. Anyone interested in organizing and promoting the event should contact IUSF at
(10/18/02 5:35am)
The IU men's swimming and diving teams open their season this weekend with a very positive outlook. Under the direction of new coach Ray Looze, the Hoosiers begin their season with the Cream & Crimson meet 3 p.m. today and will host the University of Evansville at 4 p.m. on Saturday. \nLooze inherits an IU team that finished seventh in the Big Ten last season, which was IU's worst finish in the conference since 1954. IU finished 32nd overall in the country last season. But, Looze does not believe his team has a lack of talent to bring their rankings back into the Top 20. \n"We had three swimmers and one diver qualify for the NCAA's last year," he said. "I've identified the talent on the team and we have seven or eight guys that could make the 2003 NCAA's in a perfect world. If we do that, I think we have the program more than pointed back in the right direction." \nLooze is in his first year as coach, after taking over for Kris Kirchner, who was fired at the end of last season. His last coaching job was at the University of the Pacific where he was named Men's Swimming Coach of the Year in the Big West Conference four times and was the Women's Swimming Coach of the Year in the Big West once. \nLooze does have many talented swimmers returning this season, and has added some top recruits in the country to the roster. The sprinters are a very strong asset to the team. Leading the way in sprints will be juniors Claes Andersson and Dale Ramsy. Both Andersson and Ramsy qualified for the finals in the 50-yard freestyle at the 2002 Big Ten Championships. \nLooze will look to sophomore Richard Bryant to lead the way in distance freestyle events. As a freshman last season, Bryant recorded the fourth fastest time in the 1000-yard freestyle in school history. \nJunior Matt Leach will be expected to lead the backstroking corps. Leach has been a solid Big Ten scorer as he placed twelfth in the 200-yard backstroke last season. Looze also said that freshman Mike Jones will add many points for the team in backstroke. \nThe breaststroke events will be led by senior captain Dave Schulze, who is one of the nation's best breaststrokers, and was an Academic All-Big Ten Conference recipient again in 2002. Schulze is also the IU record-holder in the 100-yard breast. \nSophomore Murph Halasz is expected to lead the way in butterfly. He broke legendary Mark Spitz's record in the 200-yard butterfly at the Indiana Open in March 2002 swimming a time of 1:46:68.\nThe men's diving team will also return a veteran roster. Coached by five-time U.S. National Diving Coach of the Year, Jeff Huber, the men's diving team looks to build upon their successes from last year. \n"My expectations are always the same," Huber said in a press release. "We really try to shoot for personal bests and do better than we did last year. I know everybody on the team had personal bests in 2002, and almost everyone had personal bests in every event. We'll try to do that again this year."\nJunior Marc Carlton and senior Adam Hazes are co-diving captains, and both look to advance even further this year in their diving. \n"I'm looking to win a couple of events," said Carlton who last season finished fifth on the 1-meter, seventh on the 3-meter, and 2nd on the 10-meter at the Big Ten Championships. \nThis summer, Carlton placed sixth on the 10-meter at the U.S. Outdoor National Diving Championships and was named to the U.S. National Team for the first time. Hazes impressed many last season as well, finishing eighth on the 1-meter and fourth on the 3-meter at the Big Ten Championships. Hazes also placed 15th this summer in the 10-meter event.\nFreshman Brian Mariano was named as the top high school diver in the country last year. The diving team not only looks to improve on personal bests from last season, but also hopes to be one of the top teams in the Big Ten.\n"We are really making it a goal to get at least four of the eight divers in the Big Ten Finals," Carlton said, "I think we could maybe win the Big Ten this year or next year."\nThe team has been practicing four days per week in the morning, every afternoon, and on weekends. They swim over 7,000 yards per day, and have been doing dry land training such as weight training, CycleFit, and playing ultimate frisbee. Looze has also had the team meet once a week to bond and build chemistry. \nThe response to their new coach has been one of excitement and inspiration. \n"I really like him," Halasz said, "He is very positive, very idealistic. He is hard but fair, and he knows what he is talking about. He is pushing us to do what we should have been doing all along."\nThe women's squad will also open their season this weekend in the same events. The Hoosiers are coming off of a year in which they finished second at the Big Ten tournament and turned in a 10th place finish at the NCAA Championships.\nIn September, Swimming World magazine recognized the Hoosier's as the No. 1 program in the country. The team will begin their quest to validate that claim this weekend. The team will be led by senior Brooke Taflinger. Taflinger won the 400-yard IM at the Big Ten Championships.\nCoach Dorsey Tierney said in a statement she is looking for the team to return to their winning ways.\n"Our goal every year is for everyone to go 100 percent best times," she said. "This year is no different. In order for us to be nationally successful at the NCAAs, and if we want to be competitive at the Big Ten Championships, everybody has to be at their best."\nThe team finished second at Big Tens last year after being disqualified in the meet deciding relay. Tierney said in a statement the team will use that as motivation for the upcoming season.\n"It's definitely a motivator, and it's not even something I need to bring up with the team," she said. "This is a new year and every year is a different team"
(07/29/02 2:18am)
The IU women's field hockey team is entering the upcoming season with a very positive outlook. The team is in it's third year of existence, and it is hoping to be competitive in the Big Ten Conference this year with the help of returning players and five incoming freshman. \nCoached by Amy Robertson, the team members said they should only improve on their 1-16 record from last season. \n"I think our team will do great this season. We have all worked hard to get to where we are, and we just want to improve," said 2002 graduate Akila Jones of the team she played on since it started in 2000. \nDuring the summer, the team members have been working out on their own as well as with trainers in Bloomington or in their hometowns. Many are hoping all the players return in good aerobic condition in order to focus on their field hockey skills. \n"What haven't we done? Lifting, running, sprints, stairs, ladders and the terrible 'beep test'," junior forward Jaime O'Pray said. "Our strength coach designed a very specific training program for all the players to do over the summer; even the incoming freshman are required to do it." \nThe players have all tried to keep in contact over the summer to keep each other motivated. \n"We are all fighters, none of us ever give up. Everyone loves the sport and has a real desire to achieve greatness," junior midfielder Ginna Irwin said.\nThe biggest obstacle the players and coaches said they will have to overcome this year is the fact that they are still a "new" team. \n"We have no tradition to follow," Irwin said. "This makes us a vulnerable team that doesn't get the respect that it deserves from other teams." \nBut the players and coaches said they use their weaknesses to form their strengths. \n"We have the ability to come in to a game being the underdog and prove to other teams of the Big Ten that we are here to play," O'Pray said. \nThe field hockey team opens its season Aug. 31 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The IU women's ultimate Frisbee club team, also known as "Calamity Jane," heads to Spokane, Wash. this weekend to compete against other top-16 ultimate teams in the country in the National Tournament. \nCalamity Jane earned its berth to the National Tournament by edging out 16 other teams to become the 2002 Great Lakes Regional Champions. The Calamity Jane team finished fourth in Regionals and beat the top-three seeds to earn its spot as one of the 16 at the National Tournament.\n"I think it was a group effort, and we worked hard to make it to Nationals," junior team member, Mary Belcher, said. "It was a total team effort."\nThey will be joined by teams from seven other regions that are made up of mostly U.S. colleges, but also some Canadian colleges.\nOn May 24, pool play will begin to decide what teams will make it into the Championship bracket and the Consolation bracket. Bracket play will take place May 25, and the National Champion will be determined May 26. \nCalamity Jane hopes to make it to the quarterfinals, but does want to be sure all 13 members receive fair playing time. \n"We want to do really well and represent our region well, but we also want everyone to have a great time and really enjoy the fact that we're playing in a tournament with the top 16 teams in the country," graduate student team member, Michelle Tseng, said.\nThe team has come a long way this year to get to this level of play. They began training in the beginning of the year, practicing on the field three days per week and put extra time into the weight room and on the track. \n"The dedication seen in all the team members was incredible," Tseng said. "Our goal was to peak at regionals, and that's we did."\nCalamity Jane is coached by Ben Barbera, who is a 15-year veteran of ultimate frisbee. This is his fifth trip to the National Tournament -- he made it three times as a player, one as an assistant coach and this year.\nBarbera said this year is different than his past trips, though. \n"This year, we knew we had the talent and potential," he said. "Through hard work and dedication, we made it the best team we can be"