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(03/25/05 5:11am)
The Union Board's highly popular IU Series of Poker is making a return for the second semester, starting tonight at 8 p.m. in Indiana Memorial Union. The event, which is expecting to have up to 300 participants, was started to give poker enthusiasts on campus a forum which would allow them to compete with players they would not get the chance to play against, Tournament Director junior David Dawson explained.\n"Poker has been really hot, especially in the dorms," Dawson said. "During freshman orientation, I noticed it was popular with just about everyone, so why not set up an organized tournament?"\nThe result of putting on the tournament was so positive that the Board decided to do it again. \n"We had such good feedback last semester that we decided to bring it back this time," Dawson said. \nFor those not familiar, Texas Hold 'em poker is played by dealing each player at a table two cards at the outset, five by the end of the hand. Throughout a hand, five cards are also delt into the center of the table, known as "community cards." The player who can make the best five card hand with any combination of their and the community cards wins. \nWhile it sounds pretty simple, the competition can be intense. Playing with many different players can make the game difficult. Sophomore Steve Bragale, who participated in the event last semester, enjoyed the increased competition that comes with a large setting.\n"It was an interesting experience playing in a large tournament," Bragale said. "Usually when you are in a tournament it is just a group of your friends, and there are only five or six people that you are competing against. This kind of tournament adds an interesting aspect because you're not just trying to beat the people at your table; you're trying to beat people at other tables as well."\nJunior Andy Trus said that until about two years ago, Texas Hold 'em wasn't very popular among younger people. Around that time, ESPN began airing the World Series of Poker. Ever since then, Trus said, the game has been rampant among college-aged youth. One can walk into a dorm and find numerous games going on at the same time. \n"Once you put anything on TV it becomes more popular," Trus said. "People watch the players and they start playing because they think that they can become as good as them." \nFurthermore, Trus noted the popularity spread very easily after people started teaching their friends to play.\n"I started playing because all my other friends were playing," Trus said. "It only takes a few people to start, from watching TV. Once they started playing, everyone else wanted to."\nFirst prize in the IU Series of Poker is a poker chip set, as well a book about poker strategy. While sign-ups will be accepted at the door up until the start of the tournament, it is best to sign up in advance, due to space constraints. Entrance is free. \n"(The Union Board) does not gain anything from this whatsoever," Dawson said. "This is totally for the students." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(09/03/04 4:17am)
Local government officials still haven't been able to determine the cause of the mysterious smell and illness plaguing the Morgan County Courthouse since this summer.\nThe popular thought among people close to the case was that the air ducts in the building's air conditioning system were producing what is known as Legionnaires' disease, with symptoms including headache, fever and sore throat. \nThese symptoms were similar to those reported by courthouse employees. \nOn Monday, a courthouse worker tested positive for Legionnaires' disease, a county official said.\nBut a thorough investigation of the air conditioning system in the building concluded that Legionnaire's could not be the cause of the illnesses or smell.\nAt a press conference held on the front lawn of the Martinsville courthouse, County Commissioner Norman Voyles announced that extensive testing had failed to shed any light on the issue.\nMany of the cases going through the courthouse doors have hit delays due to the medical concerns, a city official said. \nWith the smell and sickness worrying more employees each day, moving and taking care of administrative issues around the building has simply slowed down the court's ability to process cases, the official said.\nA city spokesman said medical specialists have been working for days to come up with an explanation for the strange odor, which has reportedly made many of the courthouse employees ill. \n"As far as we've seen, the air ducts in the courthouse aren't the kind that would produce Legionairres'," County Commissioner Brian Goss said. "We ran about 60 air tests, and everything came back negative. We're having a commissioner's meeting, and there we'll decide what we're going to do next."\nThe smell became a problem during the late summer months, when the courthouse temporarily closed in late July after two employees complained they had become ill due to the smell. The building re-opened in early August but had to close its doors again shortly thereafter when it became apparent the smell was a recurring problem and was causing many employees to experience symptoms. \nMakeshift courtrooms and offices have been set up in the county's administration building as well as the county jail. When the courthouse will re-open is anyone's guess.\n"For now, everyone has been moved out of the courthouse until we have definitive answers," Morgan County Councilwoman Brenda Adams said. "Whether that is going to be for the short term or the long term, we don't know."\nApproximately 20 more tests have been performed by the Indiana Department of Public Health, and until they come back, additional information will be scarce.\n"They're still waiting for the tests to come back from the state. Until that happens, there's really nothing that can be said or done," Martinsville Councilwoman Patricia Burleigh said. \nBurleigh rejected the possibility that the illnesses contracted by the courthouse workers could simply be a contagious disease spread from employee to employee and the smell is just a coincidence. \n"That is not the case," she said. "Judges wouldn't be moving their offices to different buildings and changing things around if there wasn't a problem."\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(03/01/04 5:51am)
Team erases memory of tough season with strong showing at Championships\nAfter a disappointing regular season in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers performed strongly in their most important meet on the conference schedule -- the Big Ten Championships. \nWith a score of 412.5 points, IU finished in fourth place among the 11 teams participating. They finished behind Minnesota, Michigan and Northwestern, who scored a total of 712.5, 605 and 478 points, respectively, over the course of the weekend. \nThe performance was one not expected by the Hoosiers, as they struggled all season long, succumbing to injury and a limited roster on their way to a 5-7 overall record, finishing 3-4 in the Big Ten. \n"The best-case scenario for us to finish at this meet was fifth, but more likely seventh with the loss of diving," IU coach Ray Looze said. "And we finished fourth. I guess it was just a case of where we swam above our perceived talent, and that is always real nice."\nLooze's mention of the loss of diving refers to the fact that the Hoosiers had only one diver competing in the championships, junior Ryan Fagan, as they have all year. Fagan, who was consistent for the Hoosiers in the 1- and 3-meter diving events throughout the year in dual meet competition, contributed 37 points for the Hoosiers.\nAmong the top performers for the Hoosiers throughout the three-day Championships was junior Murph Halasz. Halasz, who also competes in the IM relays, finished second in the 200-yard butterfly. His time of 1:44.81, which set a school record for the Hoosiers, automatically qualified him for the NCAA Championships. \n"I am pretty excited about (the NCAA automatic time)," Halasz said. "Coach Looze told me this morning to push out sooner. So I kicked out harder off the 75-yard wall. I held on and swam hard the whole way."\n"Automatic times are not easy to get," Looze said of Halasz. "That puts Murph in the elite of the country. He has worked extremely hard. That is the culmination of a kid committed to doing things the right way."\nHalasz's medley relay teammate, sophomore Kevin Swander, also had a banner weekend at the championships. Besides contributing to the relay victory, Swander also finished second overall in the 200-yard breaststroke. \nJust like Halasz, Swander not only set a school record with his time of 1:56.46, but he also automatically qualified for the NCAA's with that time. He fell just short of Purdue's Giordan Pogioli, who just edged out Swander with a time of 1:56.13.\n"I am happy, but not satisfied," Swander said. "You can never be satisfied in swimming. In four weeks, I just have to go out and swim faster. I had a really good race today. Pogioli is a great swimmer. I almost came out on top tonight."\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.\nHoosier women capitalize on 'Last Chance' Invitational\nFor the average spectator, Saturday's race between Clarissa Wentworth and Doherty Colgin appeared as if they were racing against each other as they swam side by side in the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.\nBut, the freshman and sophomore's only real race was against the clock, as they and a host of other IU swimmers looked to qualify for the NCAA Championships by boosting their NCAA cut times and edging into the national competition.\nThe swimmers proved they were up to the task. Colgin and Wentworth, both swimming career and school best times in the 200-meter freestyle, improved on their NCAA B cut times from the first session of the meet. Wentworth set a new IU record with her time of 1:47.91, and Colgin pressured her teammate the entire race, eventually finishing up just behind with a time of 1:47.99. \nThe 200-meter freestyle wasn't the only race in which the Hoosiers achieved success. The 200-yard relay team of freshman Leila Vaziri, senior Greer McGettrick, junior Erin Smith and senior Meghan Medendorp also set a new school record time. After being disqualified from competition in the Big Ten championships, the team put together a stellar performance and finished with a time of 1:41.84, .06 seconds faster than the school record time set in 2002. The performance also earned the team an NCAA provisional cut time.\nProvisional cut times qualify individuals or teams for NCAA competition, although in a limited sense. While the provisional cut time places the individual in consideration for the NCAAs, all of the NCAA automatic cut times, or "A" cut times, earn first bidding at the NCAAs. If for some reason the "A" times do not fill the field, the next best "B" times and provisional cut times are invited to fill the competition. \nIU coach Dorsey Tierney explained the need for the time trial meet. \n"At the NCAAs, there will probably be about 30 selections per event. We wanted to use this meet as a way to get more of our swimmers qualified for those events."\nIn total, the Hoosiers achieved seven NCAA provisional cut times, adding four more people to the possible selections for the NCAA championships.
(02/06/04 5:18am)
With a disappointing regular season coming to a close, the IU men's swimming and diving team has renewed incentive to get that competitive fire going before the Big Ten and NCAA Championships begin in March. \nThe reason? \nArch rival Purdue will be coming to town this Saturday.\nHaving beaten them two years in a row, including last year in West Lafayette, the Hoosiers (4-7, 2-4 Big Ten) will try to end their dual meet schedule on a high note. In a season plagued by injuries and close defeats, the idea of winning against the Boilermakers has the squad excited for the upcoming meet.\n"It's a big rivalry, and all the guys are pretty pumped up about it," freshman freestyler and backstroker Mike Anderson said. "It's not really preparing differently in practice or anything, but I think mentally the guys are taking more of an intense approach."\nLuckily for the Hoosiers, their recent performance has been strong. Despite the record, they defeated Big Ten rival Iowa, while falling to Minnesota in a tri-meet on Jan. 17 in Iowa. The effort put forth by freshman freestyler Colin Russell, as well as sophomore breaststroker Kevin Swander, has been cause for optimism among the squad. Secondly, the point totals accumulated by the squad during meets is essentially without any chance of winning the diving events, as junior Ryan Fagan has been the only IU diver eligible to compete in competition this season. Russell, coming off of the tri meet in which he won the 500-yard freestyle event and finished second in the 200, said that he expects big things for himself this Saturday.\n"I think I'll swim a lot faster this time because in the last meet I did really well and I was sick," Russell said. "I've been decreasing the meters I've been swimming, and I should start doing a lot better and start getting the times I should be getting."\nAlthough the collegiate schedule is reaching its end, the coming months will be far from the off-season for Russell, who is trying to qualify for the Canadian Olympic Team this summer in Athens, Greece. For those who will not be in the Olympic Trials, training will continue throughout the summer months here in Bloomington. Although its not required, the extra training and experience one can gain can prove to be invaluable when competition starts up again.\n"I want to try and improve my versatility and try to contribute a little bit more next year," Anderson said of his goals for the summer. "Every swim season, whether it be summer or winter, you want to get better. There really is no off-season, swimming is a year-round sport."\nAs for the meet on Saturday, the Hoosiers will have to be weary of Purdue's Louis Paul and Eric Prugh in the freestyle event, as they are both ranked in the top 20 in the 200-yard freestyle in the conference. Paul, also eighth in the conference in the 1000-yard backstroke event, will go head-to-head against IU senior Matt Leach, who is 15th. Despite the rivalry and the stiff competition, however, it was business as usual for Leach this week.\n"We're just preparing, getting everything ready and focusing on the fundamentals of swimming," Leach said. "We're just getting everyone ready to swim."\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(01/23/04 5:41am)
The IU men's swimming and diving team faces a tough challenge this Saturday when they travel to Iowa City to compete against Big Ten rivals Iowa and Minnesota. With the team struggling so far this season (3-6, 1-2 Big Ten), the Hoosiers will have an opportunity to see where they stand amongst their rivals as they look towards the Big Ten Championships, which take place at Purdue, Feb. 26 to 28. Both squads bring strong competition to the table, with Iowa boasting a 7-1 overall record this year and 2-1 conference record. Minnesota, on the other hand, is currently ranked No. 8 in the country after swimming in just four head-to-head meets this season. IU coach Ray Looze thinks the tough competition will be good for his swimmers.\n"We have our hands full against Minnesota," Looze said. "They're one of the toughest teams in the Big Ten, so that's going to be a challenge. Iowa, although they're ranked higher than us, we have a shot at. If we want to beat those guys, though, we're going to have to win the close races. If we can do that consistently, we should have success."\nOne disadvantage the Hoosiers will continue to suffer is a short handed diving team. Although he has performed well as of late, junior Ryan Fagan is the only diver eligible to compete in NCAA meets this year, making it even more important that the swimmers pick up as many points as they can in their events. Iowa will be especially tough on the boards, as Hawkeye junior Timo Klami is the defending champion in the Big Ten for the three-meter event.\n"When it comes to diving, Iowa is a pretty strong program," Fagan said. "Last year's Big Ten Champion is on Iowa, so it should be pretty good competition. Minnesota is pretty good too." \nAlthough going solo, Fagan is coming off last week's World Cup Diving Trials competition. Along with his teammate, junior Brian Metzler, the duo finished seventh in the synchronized three-meter event. Fagan's coach, IU diving coach Jeff Huber, understands that they face a tough situation having only Fagan to earn the diving points for the team.\n"Ryan has his work cut out for him (on Saturday)," he said. "Iowa and Minnesota have some really good divers. We got back on Sunday night, and I really haven't rested him since. He trains as hard or harder than anyone else on the team. He's probably diving as good as he's ever dove."\nOne thing that might carry IU through Saturday's meet is their strength in the freestyle events. Over the past two meets, the men have taken first place three times in the freestyle discipline, with freshman Colin Russell winning the 200 and 500-yard events against Southern Illinois and Ohio State. If nothing else, Looze said, the meet will be a valuable experience for his swimmers. \n"It's going to be an adverse environment to be swimming in," Looze said. "They're going to be swimming in front of a hostile crowd, and when you throw Minnesota into the mix, it becomes pretty interesting."\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(01/14/04 5:05am)
During the first half of the season, the men's swimming and diving team was looking for answers following a dismal 1-5 start, which included tough losses to fellow Big Ten schools Wisconsin and Northwestern. With 16 freshmen being put into the fray and all but one diver red shirting, the 2003-2004 season has begun to show signs of a rebuilding year. \nThe team's strong performance Saturday against Ohio State and Southern Illinois garnered it two victories. Its success can also be attributed to the Florida Training Trip the team took during Winter Break, which lasted from January 1 through 8. The trip featured a meet against Division III Denison University, but mostly consisted of a lot of intense training, designed to raise its level of competitiveness when it resumed its regular season schedule. \n"We really trained hard down there," senior captain Matt Leach said. "(The trip) really tired us out and got us focused on swimming well when we came back here."\nFreshman Ryan McNeill, who finished second in the 500-yard freestyle against Ohio State, agreed that the work they put in in Florida definitely helped when it came time for the season to resume.\n"The training went really well for us while we were there," McNeill said. "It made me more aggressive during the race."\nOf all the disciplines in the meet Saturday, it was the freestyle, in fact, in which the Hoosiers were the most impressive. In the 50-yard event, IU had the top three finishers, with seniors Claes Andersson, Mike Payne and freshman Kyle Ruth leading the way. This success bodes well for IU, since its upcoming opponent, Michigan, has one of the top freestylers in the country in Peter Vanderkaay, already a four-time Big Ten Swimmer of the Week this season. McNeill was aware of the challenge that lies ahead for him and his freestyle cohorts Saturday, but admits that all they can do is swim the best they can. \n"Michigan is tough," McNeill said. "All we can do is put together some quality races and try to come up with our best times of the year."\nAnother issue that will determine the success of the squad over the last half of the year is how well the freshman swimmers have matured and adjusted to the rigors of collegiate competition and whether they continue to do so. Sophomore breaststroker and relay member Kevin Swander said the Hoosiers have a lot to look forward over the final three months of the season.\n"We're really starting to come together as a team," he said. "Our freshmen have really started to step it up. Instead of being rookies, they're adding depth to us. They're swimming like veteran swimmers."\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(12/09/03 5:36am)
With a 1-5 dual meet record heading to Florida for the Holiday Training Trip, the IU men's swimming and diving fans might start asking themselves, "So what are we looking like next year?"\nIt has been a rough year for the Hoosiers so far, with tough losses to Big Ten foes Wisconsin and Northwestern and a lot of health problems among the squad. However, while the team's excess of injuries may not have been anticipated within the program, it was anticipated that the squad may have a rougher year, performance-wise, than in past seasons.\nFive divers and one swimmer are being redshirted this season to make way for a very strong squad during 2004-05. While one redshirt swimmer, junior Thomas Clavier, is a transfer from Tennessee and is required under NCAA regulations to sit out for one season, redshirting five divers was a tough call for the coaching staff, but a risk that IU swim coach Ray Looze is willing to take.\n"This is a rebuilding year," Looze said. "(IU diving) coach (Jeff) Huber and I decided to take a hit on the talent that would be available to us this year." \nAmong the talent on the diving board being stockpiled for next year is senior Marc Carlton, perhaps the team's best performer. As a junior at the NCAAs last year, Carlton placed sixth on the 3-meter board and finished eighth on the platform (10 meters) to earn All-American stature. He is currently using his year off from collegiate competition to train for the upcoming Olympic Games.\nSeniors Alex Burns and Brian Metzler, sophomore Brian Mariano and freshman Taylor Roberts will also be active for the Hoosiers next season, strengthening a squad that currently only has one active diver, junior Ryan Fagan. While Fagan feels like he gets a lot of support from his swimming teammates, he is still very excited about the prospects of having a much deeper diving team next year.\n"My teammates have been supporting me the whole time, so I don't feel like I'm the only one out there," Fagan said. "We're going to have an awesome year next year with that many divers. We should have a real strong team."\nAdding depth to the swim team next season will be Clavier, who will no doubt be eager to continue a collegiate career that is just beginning. A breaststroke and IM specialist, Clavier had some strong showings with the Volunteers, including a sixth place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke at last year's SEC Invitational. He said his stay in Bloomington, so far, has been pleasant, and he is glad that he made the transition.\n"The guys are great here," Clavier said. "We all get along, and the coaching is awesome. It's just a great overall University."\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(12/05/03 6:26am)
The Hoosiers continue their dual meet schedule this weekend as they take on No. 15 Texas A&M Saturday here at the Councilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center. Health will be an issue for the squad, as several members of the team, including freshman freestyler and breast stroker Colin Russell, are recovering from bouts of the flu.\nPhysical health problems have plagued them this year, with senior freestyler Adam Goff swimming in just his second meet of the year after suffering a knee injury. IU swim coach Ray Looze looks at the health problems of his squad as just a temporary bump in the road for the program and looks forward to a healthy team by the end of the season.\n"I anticipate having everyone healthy by Big Tens, and that's where we'll be judged, more so than now," Looze said. "We're going to give these guys a meet, regardless of who we have."\nThe Hoosiers 1-4 dual meet record notwithstanding, the squad is still ranked 25th in the nation and is still aiming to finish high in the Big Ten Tournament, one of the toughest swimming conferences in the nation. Senior co-captain Claes Andersson echoed his team's attitude toward the rest of the season, which is a positive one.\n"I'm not too worried about our record," Andersson said. "If you look at the meets we swam last year compared to the ones we're in this year, we're swimming against a lot better teams this year. When it comes down to Big Tens, we've learned a lot from those meets, so that's when it's going to pay off."\nThe Aggies come to Bloomington led by senior Matt Rose, touted as one of the best freestyle sprinters in the country, as well as one of the best swimmers in the school's history. They have a 3-0 dual meet record so far this season and are coming off a victory in the Texas A&M Fall Invitational, their host tournament. \n"Texas A&M is good. They've got depth in fly, and we've got competition in every event," said Goff, who will be going up against Rose this weekend in the 50 meter freestyle. "Any top 25 team in the country should prepare us for the Big Tens and NCAAs."\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(12/02/03 5:55am)
The IU men's swimming and diving team got a huge boost this fall with the signing of five new recruits. The class, considered by some to be among the best in the country, includes two swimmers from Indiana, one each from Kansas, Ohio and Michigan.\nWith four of them being state champions and three already All-Americans, they will be expected to fulfill a number of roles once they get here. \nIU swim coach Ray Looze said they have the talent to be able to make an immediate impact at the collegiate level. \n"All of our recruits for next year can score at the Big Ten level, and that's very big for freshmen," Looze said. "I think several of them will have NCAA-caliber potential, so basically, they are going to have a very big impact on the team." \nAmong the five new signees is Jeffersonville High School's Ben Hesen, who specializes in the backstroke. A former Indiana state champion and All-American, Hesen will be crucial to next year's Hoosier squad. In Hesen, the Hoosiers will be getting a workhorse that can also lead by example.\n"Ben is a quiet leader who works extremely hard in practice and doesn't tolerate other people that don't work hard," said Keith Gast, Hesen's swimming coach at Jeffersonville High. \nGast said Hesen will fit well in IU's program, especially after Looze's recruiting.\nAnother big catch for the Hoosiers is Alex Brunfeldt of Lawrence, Kan. Brunfeldt, highly regarded as one of the best freestylers in the country, swam with the Lawrence Aquafrogs for years, in addition to his high school squad. Mike Soderling, Brunfeldt's coach with the Aquafrogs, is excited about his prospects at the collegiate level.\n"Alex is a great kid. He has a great potential for college, with the strong work ethic and discipline that he will bring to the squad," Soderling said. "He has one of the best freestyle strokes I've ever seen."\nAlong with Brunfeldt, Looze was also able to sign Springfield, Ohio, native John Kevin Koehler, who also swims freestyle as his featured event. \nAmong the other two recruits are butterfly specialist Nick Walkotten of Grandville, Mich., and Todd Patrick of Chesterfield, Mo., who can swim in four different events. Looze stressed why it was so important to recruit out of state, and the difficulty of recruiting in general.\n"Indiana has pretty good swimming, but this year, as far as guys who could have an immediate impact, there just weren't that many available," Looze said. \nOverall, Looze's main goal was depth and versatility for the coming years.\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(11/21/03 6:46am)
With the men's swimming and diving season in full swing, the No. 24 Hoosiers (1-4) are still looking for that killer instinct that was apparently absent during their string of defeats on the road. They dropped four close meets in a row, losing to Kentucky, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Northwestern. \nThe Hoosiers will hold the Indiana Invitational this weekend. The Hoosiers will take on teams from Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Evansville and Missouri. Although the meet does not count against IU's overall record or national ranking, the team is still looking at it as an important stepping stone to success for the remainder of its year.\n"Michigan State, Missouri and Pittsburgh are shaving down and resting for this meet, so I expect for there to be some tough competition this weekend," IU swim coach Ray Looze said. "We just want to see if we can continue to improve on our season best times, and try to win a few more close races, since it's cost us some dual meets."\nAs far as the outlook on the team's performance this year, the team is looking for consistency and to finish in the middle of the conference, and is aiming for a strong finish nationally next year. The new recruiting class of five signees is considered to be one of the strongest in the country, as it includes three all-Americans and four state champions. Furthermore, five divers are redshirted for this year. Junior Thomas Clavier transferred here this season after starting his collegiate career at Tennessee. Although this is his first year on the team, Clavier already feels like one of the guys.\n"The guys here on the team are like brothers; we all look out for each other," he said. "It feels like we're more than just teammates."\nThe diving team is looking forward to next year, as it gets five divers back from redshirt seasons. Seniors Mark Carlton and Bryan Mariano are two that will be coming back for one more year, as they spent this off-year training for the Olympics.\n"This is a rebuilding year," Looze said. "Coach Huber and I decided to take a hit on the talent available to us this next in order to stockpile for next year."\nWith five divers unavailable this year, junior Ryan Fagan is the only male diver for the Hoosiers this season. He has not disappointed, winning several one-meter diving competitions and finishing high in the three-meter events as well. Fagan feels like although he's the only one out there for men as far as diving is concerned, the chemistry and support his teammates provide has helped ease the load of expectations that would seemingly be placed on a diver in his current position.\n"There's always a little bit of pressure, but my teammates have been supporting me the whole time, so I don't feel like I'm the only one out there," he said.\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(11/07/03 3:34pm)
The men's swimming and diving team will try to avenge two straight road losses last weekend. The Hoosiers continue their season away from Bloomington, facing No. 10 Wisconsin today and No. 22 Northwestern Saturday. These meets will mark the team's first against Big Ten opponents, of which IU went 5-1 against in dual meets last year. \nThe Hoosier squad is hoping for everyone to step up their performance from last week, when they suffered two defeats in a row. \n"We really didn't change anything in practice this week," said assistant swim coach Brian Barnes. "We just continued to work hard, still focusing on swimming fast and persevering."\nSeveral members of the team had losses in their meets against Tennessee and Kentucky. Freshman Colin Russell went from winning three races in his first collegiate meet against Evansville to finishing third and fourth in the 100 and 200 yard freestyle races, respectively. Senior Matt Leach emphasized the importance of swimming better against Wisconsin, who will be the tougher of the two opponents.\n"Wisconsin is a top-10 team, so they're going to be tough," Leach said. "Adam Mania is going to be especially tough in the backstroke. He always swims well in season. The whole team really worked on swimming faster this week, and coach really tried to make us as tired as possible."\nOne of the bright spots of last weekend was the relay team of senior Claes Anderson and junior David Winck, who finished first in the 400 yard medley relay race against Tennessee. Keeping up that momentum will be important for them, as Wisconsin and Northwestern offer tough competition.\n"Wisconsin is very similar to Tennessee, as we're going to be underdogs in this one, too," Winck said. "We're going to need strong performances from everyone, especially strong diving from (junior) Ryan Fagan."\nThe Badgers (1-1) will be led by their relay team of Matt Marshall, Mania, Kevin Zakrzewski and Dale Rodgers. Marshall is the reigning Big Ten Swimmer of the Week, after posting victories in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly against Iowa, in addition to claiming victory with his teammates in the 400-yard medley. The Wildcats are 1-1 and are coming off a loss to No. 8 and Big Ten rival Minnesota. In their first meet against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, swimmer Mark Hamming, Tony Swanson and Brian Davis won two races each for Northwestern.\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(10/30/03 7:11am)
The men's swimming and diving team begins a string of four road meets when they square off today against Kentucky, and then head to Tennessee to face the Volunteers Saturday. The Hoosiers are coming off an impressive 164-116 home victory against Evansville to open up the season, but are weary of the tougher competition the Kentucky and Tennessee squads hold for them. \n"The competition will be pretty rough," said senior Mike Payne, who will be swimming in the 50-yard freestyle and relay events. "We are definitely underdogs on paper." \nFreshman Scott Tanner was cautious but confident about the upcoming meets this weekend. \n"The competition this weekend will be very tough," Tanner said. "Overall, the team is very confident, but we are not letting our guards down." \nKentucky is led by All-American honorable mentions Fernando Barros, Daniel Cruz, Daniel Farnham and Steven Manley. They are coming off a season-opening loss at home to Tennessee. The Volunteer's big threat comes on the diving platform, where they are led by Phillip Jones, the defending NCAA champion on the 3-meter board. The Hoosiers will be led by junior Ryan Fagan, who took first place in the 1-meter diving event against Evansville. Men's diving coach Jeff Huber said he is pleased with the preparation Fagan has gone through for the upcoming weekend. \n"It's been a good week for Ryan," Huber said, who is in his 15th season as IU's head diving coach. "He's made a number of little improvements over the past few days." \nNext weekend, the Hoosiers will travel to Wisconsin and Northwestern for two consecutive road meets, Friday and Saturday, respectively.\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(10/20/03 6:46am)
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams got their seasons started on a positive note Saturday, as both posted victories against in-state rival Evansville at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center, 164-116 and 183-104, respectively. Freshman Colin Russell led the way for the men, winning three events for the Hoosiers, including the 1000-yard free-style, the 50-yard freestyle, and the 100-yard breaststroke. Russell, a native of Canada, was not surprised with the way he performed in his first intercollegiate meet.\n"I wasn't nervous, but I was ready to start out the year with good times so I have something to start out with," said Russell. "I have high expectations for myself, and I really want to do well." \nRussell, who said he came to IU for the coaching, usually swims in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle events, but was put in his off-events Saturday as part of IU coach Ray Looze Jr.'s strategy for the meet. \n"We put a lot of guys in their off-events today, and what we were hoping to find is any hidden signs of versatility," Looze said. "We are a very young team, and we are trying to find out things about them. We are really trying to improve their mental toughness."\nSenior Mike Payne and junior Richard Bryant also performed well for IU, Payne proving victorious in the 100- yard freestyle race, and Bryant capturing two events, the 200-yard fly and the 200-yard free. Bryant looked at this meet as a positive stepping stone to success throughout the season, noting the strong contribution the freshmen have made to the team thus far.\n"I think today went really well," Bryant, a native of Somerset, England, said. "Our freshmen really stepped up, and I was really pleased. The freshmen are going to make a difference time-wise, but more so mentally. There is a new atmosphere around the team, and it is positive."\nThe Hoosier women were led by seniors Meghan Medendorp and Brooke Taflinger. Medendrop won the 100-yard freestyle event, as well as the 50-yard freestyle. She was also part of the team that captured the 400-yard medley relay race, which included Medendrop, senior Greer McGettrick, freshman Leila Vaziri and freshman Annica Lofstedt. Taflinger won two solo events as well, the 1000-yard freestyle and the 200-yard breaststroke. Women's coach Dorsey Tierney was pleased with the performance of her team.\n"I thought tactically we put together some good races," Tierney said. "We have a lot of little things to work on, but for the most part I was really pleased with the efforts. Our squad is very versatile, and we are very fortunate to have a group like that."\nIn diving, IU junior Ryan Fagan won the men's one-meter diving competition with a score of 281.77. On the women's side, freshmen Lindsay Weigle and Heather Chapman took first and second place, respectively.\nThe next meet for the men is on the road against Kentucky at 6 p.m., Oct. 30. The women go to Dallas Friday for the SMU Classic, which will be held at 7 p.m.\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.
(10/14/03 5:12am)
The Kelley School of Business was recently given a top 10 ranking by the U.S. News and World Report for best Undergraduate Business Programs. At the No. 10 spot this year, the Kelley school has established itself, over the past decade, as one of the nation's top business programs.\nFor many prospective business students, U.S. News' ranking often plays a large part on their ultimate collegiate decision. There has not been a specific statistical analysis to determine the impact of the U.S. News and World Report rankings on a school's success in attracting students, but according to the National Bureau of Economic Research there has definitely been some effect. A paper published by NBER concluded that colleges and universities that receive a lower ranking in U.S. News tend to have lower yield rates (the percentage of students accepted to a particular university that choose to attend) than schools with a higher ranking. The schools receiving a lower overall ranking are forced to admit a higher percentage of applicants the years following their low results, according to NBER. The rankings may also increase the amount of financial aid given out at certain schools to compensate for their loss in overall rankings. \nAccording to the Dean of the Kelley School of Business, Dan Dalton, IU's main competition in attracting students to the Kelley School are rival Big 10 schools. Most notably Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin are viewed, by the Kelley School, as main competitors for top students. But the Kelly School of Business has had no problem in attracting out-of-state students.\n"Even though I come from a state whose top public University has a competitive business program, it was a no-brainer," said freshman Jessica Leary, a Chicago native. "Whenever I mention to people that I go to IU, one of the first things they comment on is the high ranking of the business school."\nU.S. News and World Report determines their final rankings based solely on peer assessment. The deans of every business school in the United States that is accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business are asked annually to rank each business school they are familiar with on a scale of 1 to 5. The averages are then calculated, with the highest average rating getting the highest rankings. A similar system is used to determine the rankings of individual departments within the respective schools. This year the Kelley school received rankings of 4th in management, 7th in marketing and 7th in finance.\n"This method of ranking the schools has been used for over 20 years, however, and no problems have ever been encountered with the way it is done," said Rich Fowlkres, Director of Media Relations for U.S. News and World Report. \n"The task of looking at every single accredited college's curriculum is daunting, considering there are over 1,400 of them," Fowlkres said. "We think that educators who are professionals in their field will be objective in the evaluations of their peers and will not play dirty."\nMany of the 1,400 schools are not as well known as others, and this can play a part in determining where one school ends up on the list. Colleges and universities with new business programs or a smaller enrollment size have a tougher time gaining national recognition.\n"We are able to more easily critique a school whose program is well known and whose curriculum we are more familiar with," Dalton said. "Overall reputation definitely plays a big part when deciding the rankings." \nThe ranking also affects what calibre of students are attracted, which in turn affects the faculty.\n"The reputation of a business school can become a self-fulfilled prophecy," said Ira Solomon, chair of the Accounting Department at the University of Illinois. "The quality of students at a certain school greatly affects one's mental model of a school. Students will then select a school based on its' reputation. At the same time, faculty like to be around high quality students. In that way, it is kind of a circular pattern."\nWhile the business school rankings are based solely on peer assessment, overall rankings for each individual college and university in the United States are based on several criteria, including acceptance rate, retention rate, and average SAT Scores of incoming students. \n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu