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(10/19/12 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the Indiana swimming and diving team finishing offseason training, several returning individuals boasting various summer accolades and the addition of a hyped freshman class, prospects are high as the Hoosiers head into their first regular season meet Friday.The team will travel to Lexington, Ky., for a dual meet against Kentucky and Tennessee.“We are competing against two SEC teams, so anytime you’re competing against the SEC, you have to bring your A game,” IU Assistant Head Coach Donny Brush said. “We have two cohesive units, but it will be interesting to see how they respond when they are put up against some competition and adversity.” Following the loss of Brittany Strumbel, Allysa Vavra, Margaux Farrell and Laura Ryan, four leading scorers on the women’s team last season, the Hoosiers will want the incoming freshman class to step up immediately. Freshmen Brooklyn Snodgrass and Haley Lips will make their collegiate debuts for IU in Friday’s dual meet. Snodgrass, a Canadian swimmer who won three gold medals at the 2011 Age-Group Nationals, finished sixth in the 100-meter backstroke and 11th in the 200-meter backstroke at Canadian Olympic Trials in April. Last summer, Lips won two gold medals at the YMCA National Long Course Championships in the 400-meter freestyle with a national record time of 4:17.56 and the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2:19.52. Lips is also a member of the USA Swimming 2012-13 Junior National team.The two are part of a freshman class that consists of 26 men’s and women’s swimmers.“They are the strongest group of freshmen that I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” junior Cody Miller said. “They’ve really integrated into the program and have started competing well in workouts better than other freshmen have in the past, even better than my class did, which is pretty big.”On the men’s side, junior Eric Ress will return to his first meet since the 2011 NCAA Championships after sitting out the 2011-12 season to train for the London Olympics. Although Ress fell three-tenths of a second short of qualifying for last summer’s Olympics, the 2011 NCAA runner up in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke said his return to collegiate swimming is much anticipated.“I’m really swimming for something bigger than myself, so I’ve never been more excited than I am for this dual meet,” Ress said, “I’m really pumped about it.”In addition to Ress’ scoring potential, the Hoosiers return all nine of its point scorers from a top 10 finish in last March’s NCAA Championships.One of those scorers, sophomore Steve Schmuhl, placed 14th in the 200-meter butterfly in the NCAA as a freshman.In a breakout summer, Schmuhl qualified for the 2012 Short Course World Championships after earning a bronze medal at the U.S. Open in the 400-meter individual medley. “We had a great preseason, and everybody seems a lot more fit than they’ve been in the past,” Brush said. “Obviously, I think Schmuhl had an outstanding summer, so as a freshman last year coming in, we are looking for big things from him.”As Friday’s meet approaches, the Hoosiers anticipate it being a stepping stone into a new season. The team knows more important meets wait for it down the line, but the swimmers said they look forward to the challenge of a season opener. “We train through the dual meets and work on little things in the meets that we work on in practice to get better, so if we don’t do great, it’s not that big of a deal,” senior Mick Dell’Orco said. “As long as we keep doing the right things, it will all come together at the end.”
(10/04/12 3:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>USA Swimming announced Wednesday that IU sophomore Steve Schmuhl has been named to the U.S. roster for the 2012 Short Course World Championships. Schmuhl will compete in the 400-meter individual medley at the event, which runs Dec. 12-16 in Istanbul. Schmuhl earned his spot among 24 athletes after finishing third in the 400-meter IM at the U.S. Open in August in Indianapolis with a time of 4:18.74. Schmuhl’s time in the finals also set an IU record in the 400-meter IM.The Broomfield, Colo., native also placed 11th in the 400-meter IM at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. Former Hoosier All-American and NCAA champion Ben Hesen will join Schmuhl on the team as he competes in the 50- and 100-meter backstroke events. During his tenure at IU, Hensen won the 100-yard backstroke at the 2008 NCAA Championship with a school-record time of 44.72 and was awarded All-America honors in the 200 back and the 200 free relay, among several other awards. Schmuhl and Hesen will swim with the best of the best of the U.S., including Olympic champions Ryan Lochte and Matt Grevers. Mike Alexandrov and Grevers (Northwestern), Ryan Feeley and Charlie Houchin (Michigan), and Michael Weiss (Wisconsin) are among the swimmers representing Big Ten Conference teams in the competition.— Gabrielle Reed
(08/29/12 3:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Former IU swimmer and French Olympian Margaux Farrell was declared one of the 30 finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year award Monday. She was chosen from a group of 430 nominees.“I am surprised and honored that I am a finalist because there are so many qualified women that are phenomenal student athletes, so just to be considered for this award means so much to me,” Farrell said. The NCAA chose 10 honorees from each division representing various NCAA sports. The field will be cut further in September, when three finalists from each division will be chosen to comprise a total of nine finalists. During a ceremony Oct. 14 in Indianapolis, the 2012 Woman of the Year will be named and the top 30 women honored.“Margaux’s nomination for NCAA Woman of the Year culminates a fantastic four years at Indiana University for her,” IU Coach Ray Looze said in a press release. “In this day and age, it is very uncommon for a nonprofessional swimmer to win an Olympic medal.” An 11-time All-American, two-year captain of the IU women’s swimming team and 2012 Olympics bronze medalist in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay for France, Farrell has left a legacy with the IU swimming program.“Obviously, there are things I wish I could have done better or races and grades I wish would have been faster or higher,” Farrell said. “However, all in all, everything happens for a reason, and so I can’t look back and regret what did or didn’t happen. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, and I hope I can continue to set high goals in the future.”During her tenure at IU, Farrell excelled in academics, including being named a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, a 2011 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, a 2012 winner of the Wayne Duke Postgraduate Scholarship and a recipient of an NCAA postgraduate scholarship.In May, while securing a spot on the 2012 French Olympic team, she received a degree in journalism with a psychology minor.Despite an acceptance to USC to complete a master’s in broadcast journalism, Farrell is deferring for one year to work swim clinics and complete an internship. She wants to gain experience before she begins school to hopefully work in entertainment or sports television. “Ideally, I would like to work in television or television advertising, but my main goal is to be on camera someday,” Farrell said.Farrell started her swimming career as a freshman in spring 2009 with a bang by finishing fourth in the 100-meter freestyle and 200-meter freestyle and winning a Big Ten title as a member of the 400-meter medley relay, leading the Hoosiers to a Big Ten team title. She completed her sophomore year with another Big Ten title in the 400-meter freestyle relay along with a victory in the 200-meter freestyle and second-place finish in the 100-meter freestyle.During her junior year, Farrell led Indiana once again, winning a conference title in the 800-meter freestyle relay and placing third in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle and 400-meter freestyle relay. She helped IU win its third straight Big Ten Championship.“Whether it be the last 12 months or the past four years, she has appreciated the time Indiana has put into her, and she has deflected a lot of the praise onto all the people who supported her, especially her mother,” Looze said. Farrell ended her IU career with four Big Ten titles in the 800-meter freestyle relay. She owns the school record for six different events.“Margaux has a lot to give, and I think the more she puts into people, the more she will get out of life,” Looze said.
(08/23/12 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The only part of the race she remembers is walking out with her teammates, purposely averting her gaze from the stands so she would not see the crowd of spectators about to watch her swim. Margaux Farrell, a 2012 IU graduate, was about to live her lifelong dream of swimming in the Olympics, participating in the 4X200-meter freestyle relay for France.“I had so much adrenaline,” Farrell said. “The race was a blur, and there were too many emotions to digest.”Many children dream of becoming Olympians, but not all are willingto endure hours of training and sacrifice extracurricular activities to reach that goal. When Farrell came to IU from Woodbridge, Conn., in 2008, the Olympics had been a dream of hers, she said, but they were not an initial goal.Her freshman year of college, Farrell failed to place in the top 40 at the NCAA Championships in both the 100- and 200-meter freestyle events.“Freshman year was tough,” Farrell said. “It was hard adjusting to collegiate training and also making the transition from high school to college.”Earning her first individual Big Ten title in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:45.32 as a sophomore, the Connecticut native began to make a name for herself within the IU swimming program. She went on to set the school record in the same event only four weeks later at the NCAA Championships.Farrell was then presented an opportunity to swim at the 2010 LEN European Championships in the 4X200 freestyle relay. She and her relay team finished in second place.“After I made the European Championship team in 2010, I realized for the first time that I had a chance (at making the Olympics),” Farrell said.For Farrell, making the Olympic team for France was the ultimate goal during her senior season.While the other swimmers began tapering for the Big Ten Conference Championships, Farrell and IU Coach Ray Looze decided to keep the intensity of her workouts high. Three weeks after the Big Ten Championships, Farrell competed in 10 races in three days.She swam at the NCAA Championships in Auburn, Ala., where she said she was upset by her less-than-desirable times. Farrell then flew to New York and then to Belgium, where she drove two hours to Dunkirk, France. “I went into the French Olympic Trials with a lower morale,” Farrell said. “Actually at the meet, I didn’t think I would make it.”Farrell swam in multiple events in the trials, and she made the finals of the 200 freestyle, the qualifying event for the 4X200 freestyle relay.In the finals, she finished in fifth place. Though she did not automatically qualify for the team, she was near certain she would make the team as an alternate.“The wait was pretty nerve-racking, even though I was pretty sure I’d be selected,” Farrell said. “I didn’t want to count my eggs before they hatched.”She eventually found out at a Chicago airport with IU teammates junior Eric Ress and sophomore Justine Ress she had officially made the team. After the French Olympic Trials in March, Farrell began having back issues. She had cortisone-type medicines injected to get her through the random flare-ups, all the while preparing for her Olympic opportunity.When she arrived in London, a doctor concluded that the issues with Farrell’s vertebrae were caused by tendonitis running down her leg.Despite her volatile medical state, Farrell decided she would swim no matter what.“There were days I couldn’t walk and had to be on bed rest,” Farrell said. “It was just a two-minute race. For those two minutes, I just had to go as hard as I could.”Farrell swam second that day in her team’s rotation and had a split of 2:00.06 in the preliminary round. France finished third in the heat and fifth overall, as Farrell helped her team qualify for the night’s finals. Though she did not swim in the finals, she still was awarded an Olympic medal as France won bronze in the night’s race.Overcoming her hardships, through travel and health issues alike, Farrell was finally an Olympic medalist. “This whole experience has been pretty surreal,” Farrell said. “I haven’t fully grasped the fact that I am now an Olympic medalist.”
(08/22/12 1:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Diving Coach Jeff Huber announced Tuesday morning former USA Diving Head Coach John Wingfield is the new IU assistant diving coach.Wingfield has worked with USA Diving for 15 years and was the director of the National Training Center and head coach of USA Diving since 2009. He was also Team USA’s head diving coach in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.“I think it’s lights out,” IU swimming and diving Coach Ray Looze said. “I think it’s just an outstanding hire. He is a phenomenal coach that could really be a head coach for any program in the United States.”As director of the National Training Center, Wingfield trained talents such as Thomas Finchum, Mary Beth Dunnichay and 2012 Olympic gold medalist David Boudia.He is the head coach of 2012 national champion of the women’s platform and synchronized platform, high school senior Jessica Parratto.“John is recognized in the diving community as one of the best diving coaches not only in the United States but in the world,” Huber said in a press release. “He has developed from the ground up countless elite level divers.”Huber said Wingfield is expected to make the IU diving program stronger.“(Wingfield’s hiriwwwng) is a program changer for sure,” Looze said. “We’re only going to get better because of it.”As he moves from the national stage to IU, Wingfield said he looks forward to the new challenge he faces at IU.“I am very excited to join the Indiana University family and to be an integral part of IU swimming and diving, a program imbued with 53 years of tradition and success at the Big Ten, NCAA and international levels,” Wingfield said in the press release. “My goal is to help institute a program that responsibly upholds such tradition and participates in the growth and development of great student athletes.”
(08/21/12 5:44pm)
Dr. Jeff Huber, Indiana University head diving coach, announced today former USA diving head coach John Wingfield as the new IU assistant diving coach.
(08/21/12 3:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>From IDS ReportsThe IU diving team competed in the AT&T USA Diving National Championships last week in Greensboro, N.C.Senior Amy Cozad had first place in the women’s platform competition heading into the final round with a score of 338.40 points. Cozad ended the final round as runner-up, tallying 348.15.Junior Kate Hillman tallied 251.95 points and finished 20th in the women’s platform competition.Junior Darian Schmidt posted a score of 368.15, placing fifth in the 1-meter springboard competition. After sitting in sixth after the semifinal round of the 3-meter springboard, Schmidt placed 10th with 422.60 points.Junior Conor Murphy barely made it to the finals of the men’s platform competition, taking the eighth and final spot into the finals, where he finished fourth with a score of 369.95.Former Hoosier Gabby Agostino finished 11th in the 3-meter springboard with 254.10.Agostino and senior Logan Kline placed second in the synchronized springboard event with a score of 291.30.The Hoosiers begin the 2012-13 season Oct. 19 with a meet in Lexington, Ky. against Kentucky and Tennessee.— gabreed@indiana.edu
(08/15/12 3:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Several IU swimmers featured their talents at the 2012 U.S. Open Swimming Championships at the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis Natatorium last week. The event, which was Aug. 7-11, brought competitors from various nations. The IU swimmers entered the event all looking to place in the top eight, and although not all succeeded, several Hoosiers finished toward the top in their respective events.In the men’s races, sophomore Steve Schmuhl placed third in the 400-meter individual medley by posting a time of 4:18.74, an improvement from his morning preliminary time (4:20.77). Schmuhl also swam the 200 individual medley, posting a time of 2:03.87, landing him in eighth place.Junior Cody Miller finished fourth overall in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:11.72 after shaving off almost 2.39 seconds off his prelim time. Miller also recorded another top-five finish, swimming the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.11, putting him in third. The junior swimmer also competed in the 200 individual medley, but he was disqualified in finals after swimming 2:01.96 in the prelims, a time that would have gotten him fifth place in the finals.Junior Eric Ress swam the second day of prelims for the 200 backstroke, finishing with a time of 1:59.85, pushing him onto the finals. Ress improved by more than a second in the final round, swimming to a time of 1:58.42 in third place. The junior also placed in the top 10 in the 100 backstroke in a time of 55.78.Junior James Wells finished eigth in the finals of the men’s 100 backstroke, swimming a time of 55.47, less than half a second ahead of teammate Ress.Senior Jim Barbbiere competed in the 200 freestyle and swam away with a fifth-place finish in a time of 1:50.74.Senior Sam Trahin finished in sixth in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:21.70.In the women’s races, junior Lindsay Vrooman placed 14th in the 400 freestyle (4:17.93). Vrooman pulled through with a fifth-place finish in the 1,500 freestyle in 16:49.55.Former Hoosier Allysa Vavra competed in the 400 individual medley, swimming to a time of 4:45.43 in fifth place.Senior and former NCAA champion Kate Fesenko finished ninth in the women’s 100 backstroke by posting a time of 1:01.95.
(08/06/12 7:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Competing in her second straight Olympic Games, former IU diver and 2009 graduate Christina Loukas finished eighth in the 3-meter springboard finals Sunday afternoon at the Aquatics Centre in London. Loukas completed her five final-round dives with a total score of 332.10, improving on her ninth place finish from the 2008 Beijing Games in the same event. Loukas was a top-eight diver during the entire three-day event, placing seventh after preliminaries with a score of 330.45 and sixth after semifinals with 339.75 points. Unlike Olympic Trials, scores in the Olympics are reset to zero before each round. Loukas’ performance on Sunday was not good enough to be near medal position, however, as China’s Wu Minxia and He Zi earned gold and silver medals respectively. American teammate Cassidy Krug finished in seventh place, ahead of Loukas by 10.75 points. While at IU, Loukas was the 2009 NCAA champion in the 3-meter dive and earned four Big Ten individual titles. She was named Big Ten Diver of the Year on multiple occasions and an NCAA All-American eight times. Loukas left Bloomington in 2010, and told the IDS in July 2012 that at the time, she “felt out of place and needed a change, a new environment.” She now trains at the Woodlands Diving Academy in Texas under former Olympian and U.S.A. Diving coach Kenny Armstrong. — Jordan Littman
(08/01/12 6:38pm)
Recent graduate Margaux Farrell swam the second leg of the women's
preliminary 4x200 freestyle relay for Team France Wednesday morning,
helping her team to a third place finish in the first heat and a spot in
the finals.
(07/26/12 1:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WOMEN’S SWIMMINGLips wins two gold medals at YMCA ChampionshipsIncoming freshman Haley Lips may not be joining future teammates Nicholas Schwab and Dorina Szekeres in London, but for now can boast of gold medals from a national event. Lips won two gold medals Tuesday at the YMCA National Long Course Championships in Atlanta, setting a 400-meter freestyle national record in the process. With a time of 4:17.56, Lips broke Shelby Fortin’s record (4:19.65) set in 2010. Later, Lips earned her second gold medal of the evening by winning the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:19.52. With Lips’ help, her Middle Tyger club team leads the championships with 361 points, 98 ahead of Upper Main Line (263). MEN'S GOLFMcCants named assistant coach Brian McCants has been named assistant coach for the Indiana men’s golf team, Head Coach Mike Mayer announced Tuesday. “He is a tireless worker and recruiter and he will scour the country looking for the best recruits to help our program continue to be successful,” Mayer said in a press release. McCants spent this season as an assistant coach at Kansas University following six years as the men’s head golf coach at Division II Newberry College in Newberry, S.C. While at Newberry, McCants guided the Wolves to three South Atlantic Conference Championships and won SAC Coach of the Year honors four consecutive years. McCants spent seven total seasons as a member of the men’s golf coaching staff at Newberry, serving as head coach during the final six. In 2011, McCants guided the Wolves to the NCAA D-II National Championship quarterfinals, making them the first SAC team in history to qualify for the Championship tournament twice. They also qualified in 2008. “What he did at Newberry College is incredible, turning that small DII program into a national powerhouse,” Mayer said in the release. “We welcome Coach McCants and his wife Lauren into our Hoosier family.”Prior to Newberry, McCants served as head men’s golf coach at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinsburg, N.C. McCants is a 1994 graduate of Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. WOMEN’S SOCCERPair of women’s soccer alumnae join Hoosier coaching staffFormer Indiana women’s soccer players Chloe McKay and Megan Reinhardt were named assistant coaches, Head Coach Mick Lyon announced Monday. “Megan and Chloe have remained close to me and the program as they developed their coaching careers so I am thrilled that they have rejoined the IU women’s soccer team,” Lyon said in a press release. “They are both extremely talented, knowledgeable about the game and full of personality, which will blend into the program very nicely.”Reinhardt was a goalkeeper from 2005-07 and helped the Hoosiers reach the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen in 2007, her final season. In 2011, she served as goalkeeper coach at the University of Indianapolis. A native of Indianapolis, Reinhardt graduated from IU in 2009.“It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to return to my alma mater as a member of the staff,” Reinhardt said in the release. “I am looking forward to working with Coach Lyon and Coach McKay as we continue to build on a program already steeped in tradition. I am thrilled to be a Hoosier once again.”Mckay, a midfielder, finished her four-year career with the Hoosiers (2007-10) with 16 assists, good for third-most in program history. As a freshman on the 2007 Sweet Sixteen team,she recorded a team-high six assists. That season, she also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. During 2011, McKay served as a student assistant coach for the Hoosiers while completing her degree as a fitness specialist.“I would like to thank Coach Lyon for this great opportunity to continue my involvement with Indiana women’s soccer,” McKay said. “I was blessed to be a part of this program for four years as a player and now I am excited to have a chance to be able to give back to the program as part of the coaching staff.”-- Joe Popely
(07/19/12 12:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the northern Chicago neighborhood of Wrigleyville, where the Cubs reign supreme, fans often find comfort in the reassuring refrain “There’s always next year.” No matter how forgettable the prior season for the “Lovable Losers,” Cubs nation can take solace in knowing that each and every April presents a clean slate and another shot at breaking a World Series drought more than a century in the making. In only a few weeks’ time, former IU diver Christina Loukas will mount her second challenge for a gold medal, knowing full well that a shot at diving’s Holy Grail — her “next year” — will not come again until 2016. “Four years come down to a few minutes,” Christina’s mom, Patty Loukas, said. “It’s quite humbling. But we’re very, very ecstatic and thrilled for her. She’ll always have the title of two-time Olympian under her belt.”Regardless of the fate awaiting her in London, Christina, the standout athlete in a large Greek family full of them, will bring a boisterous contingent of familial support across the pond and have plenty of backing stateside. “The neighborhood, our church, the Greek community — everyone involved has been tremendous,” Patty said. “(IU Diving) Coach Jeff Huber is very supportive. Even her old coaches at Deerfield High School have been great. The whole Olympic thing is surreal. I’d never been to the Olympics until Christina made it, and I hate to sound trite, but it’s unbelievable. We feel so blessed.”Among those who will make the transatlantic trip are Patty, who attends all of her daughter’s meets, and Stacey Loukas , Christina’s sister. In Beijing four years ago, the two were so vocal in cheering Christina on her way to a ninth-place finish that they were both mic’d by television crews. “There were 15 of us at Beijing pulling for Christina,” Stacey said. “My friends here in the states said they could hear us on TV from their couches. This time around, there should be 30 to 40 of us. We’ll be loud, I can guarantee you.”“The athlete I always wanted to be” While most north siders’ Cubs fandom is simply a matter of geography, the connection between the Loukas family and Chicago’s National League outfit runs deeper. George Loukas, Christina’s father, owns the Cubby Bear, a fixture of Wrigleyville. When his daughter secured her place in this summer’s Olympics, the popular bar displayed a congratulatory message on the digital marquee that sits just below the neon Cubby Bear insignia.“That was so cool,” Christina said. “I have the picture up in my living room. I’m so fortunate. Everybody has been so supportive, from the Chicago Fire Department to people I’ve never even met.”A fit family if ever there were one, the Loukas clan alone boasts four college football players, including Angelo Loukas, who played at Northwestern and for the Buffalo Bills, and George, who played at Southern Illinois. Yet Christina’s agility and discipline are of such a caliber that George said of his daughter, “She’s the athlete I always wanted to be.”“The diver,” as Christina has become affectionately known by her younger, admiring cousins, was thrown into athletics from a tender age. However, her mom gives her daughter credit for finding the will within to achieve at a high level, a sentiment Stacey echoed.“We weren’t expected to get scholarships — we all just had fun with it,” Stacey said. “Our parents always had us playing football in the backyard and throwing balls through tires. To this day, all of us first cousins always play flag football or some other sport when we all get together, even in our 30s. But my sister has that elite ability the rest of us don’t have.”On a getaway in Vancouver one summer, the family decided to try fly fishing for the first time. While Stacey hooked her own arm with the line and others ran into similar struggles, Christina commanded the rod with such skill that a bystander downstream might have mistaken her for an extra in A River Runs Through It. The instructor told Christina, who was making her fly fishing debut, that she had the look of a veteran, prompting laughs on the opposite shore from her unsurprised family. “We have always been super competitive, whether it’s video games or board games,” Stacey said. “We pushed each other a lot growing up, but we’ve also supported her since day one. We knew she had incredible talent and needed to put it to good use.” The Magnificent Seven One of four siblings, Christina showcased the raw athletic talent that would eventually propel her to elite competition.At three, she flipped and flopped her way down the hallways in the family home to the amusement of her on-looking grandparents. Her parents, recognizing her precocity, placed her in gymnastics. As she grew, so did her ability and discipline. By the time she hit 12, she was spending four hours a day after school honing her skill set as a gymnast. Rigorous though the schedule was, she still found time to catch a glimpse of and find inspiration from the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team, a group of girls as uncommonly athletic and regimented as herself. “I remember watching the 1996 Olympics and the ‘Magnificent Seven,’” Christina said. “I loved every single one of those girls: Kerri Strug, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes. I thought to myself, ‘I want to be in the Olympics.’”Though she continued to excel, she soon ditched the mat and the balance beam for the pool and the diving board. The decision, coupled with her abandonment of basketball and soccer, allowed her to concentrate fully on her budding future in the world of diving, where coaches piqued her interest by telling her that her ceiling was the same stage the Magnificent Seven had used to captivate a nation — the Summer Olympics. “The Diver” ascendsChristina cruised to several honors during a decorated high school career, including Illinois Swimmer/Diver of the Year in 2003. Despite the accolades, she said it wasn’t until she enrolled at IU that she began to realize her potential. “I knew that moving to Indiana was the best thing for me, that I’d finally be putting in the time and effort I should be,” she said. “I had full confidence in Coach Huber in getting me to the level I wanted to go to. My training wasn’t intense before college, but it was totally different at IU. I went from training four to six days a week, twice a day — and I got the results I wanted.”The results speak for themselves: after a promising freshman campaign that saw her earn Big Ten Diver of the Year honors and three All-America certificates at the NCAAs, she won national titles in the 1-meter event her junior and senior seasons, the latter of which she chose to redshirt to prepare for the Olympic Trials and a chance to compete in Beijing. To book her place on Team USA’s envoy to the Forbidden City, Christina would have to finish near the top of a deep, talented field. To her surprise, she placed first, launching herself off the 3-meter springboard and into IU — and U.S. — diving history. “I was completely shocked that I made the team,” Christina said. “I wasn’t looking at the scoreboard at all during the competition. I ran over and hugged Jeff Huber and started crying because I was so happy, excited, shocked .”In retrospect, she credits the unexpected success to her time in Bloomington.“I owe my first Olympics to the (IU) team, the program, Coach Huber and everyone there,” Christina said.Though she placed ninth in Beijing, she gained invaluable experience on the international scene and the most prestigious stage in her sport. Burnout, then renewed beliefSoon thereafter, however, it became unclear whether she would ever draw upon that experience again. Exhausted by the grueling grind of seemingly ceaseless training, she decided to step away from the slog and reassess her priorities. “I burned out after the Olympics; it had become a never-ending season,” Christina said. “I started having mental blocks with diving. It had gotten really frustrating, and I wasn’t enjoying the sport anymore. After the season, I just decided to step away from the sport and see if I wanted to keep doing it. I realized I had so many more goals to accomplish.”To help make those goals more attainable, she moved in 2010 to The Woodlands, Texas, and enlisted the expertise of Ken Armstrong, a former Canadian Olympic diver turned U.S. Olympic coach. Patty said that Armstrong, who had already guided American Laura Wilkinson to three Olympic berths and a gold medal in 2000, came out of semi-retirement to strike up a partnership with her daughter.“Kenny has made me have a different mindset,” Christina said. “Before I moved down here, he told me that I should only come down if my goal is to win a gold medal. In 2008, I didn’t even know if I was good enough to be going to the Olympics. Now, I have more belief. I would have been upset if I didn’t make the team. It was more of a relief than anything that (trials) were over. I’m so happy to be done and ready to prepare for London.”While Christina admits to missing Bloomington, she said the change of scenery has been overwhelmingly positive. “As much as I loved Indiana, I had been training there for six years,” Christina said. “Everyone was younger; I felt out of place and needed a change, a new environment. I needed a new set of eyes to help with my diving. I’ve really enjoyed being in Texas, minus the weather. I decided to move down here also in part for Kassidy Cook, who is someone to push me and train with me every day.”Due to the near-decade age gap that divides Christina, 26, and Kassidy, 17, the formation of “Kasstina,” a moniker that has been the subject of hashtags on Loukas’ Twitter account, may have seemed unlikely. But the friendly competition, along with the unwavering, continuing encouragement from her family, has been instrumental in helping Christina flourish in Texas. Bashful yet buoyantAway from the pool, the most accomplished Loukas athlete might also be the most modest. “Hungry but humble,” as her mother describes her, Christina rarely, if ever, mentions any of her numerous accomplishments as a diver. Once, when wearing an Olympic ring that attracted a curious inquiry from a stranger, she answered in such unassuming fashion that Stacey felt compelled to interject on her sister’s behalf. “She was asked if she was wearing it simply because she liked the Olympics, and she said yes,” Patty said. “Her sister had to butt in and tell him, ‘She’s an Olympian!’ Christina has always liked to perform, but she’s also always been so humble.”Ahead of her jaunt to London, Christina said she has compiled the confidence to complement her humility, and her most ardent supporters agree. Patty says she appears more mature than four years ago, having undertaken a stricter training regimen and begun living by herself, free from the distractions of a college town. For her part, Stacey, who said she and her siblings visit Christina in Texas often, has also seen her sister’s maturation first hand. “She knows what to expect,” Stacey said. “She knows all the girls she’ll be diving against. I don’t think her nerves will be on her mind as much as the first time around. I talked to her just a few days ago, and she’s really excited and just wants to have fun.” For Christina, who will act as an international athletic ambassador for IU, suburban north Chicago and the Greek community, the agonizing wait for her return to competition under another set of familiar rings — the five intertwined Olympic ones — ends soon. From August 3 to 5, she will repeatedly plunge acrobatically into a still, deep blue sea from a height of 3 meters, hoping that when she resurfaces for the last time, she will emerge on the summit of the podium — and at the top of the sport she fell out of love with, only to embrace it again. “We’re so proud of her already,” Stacey said. “It’s a crazy, cheerful situation, and I know she’s worked so hard. "She’s put her life on hold for diving, so for her to win a gold medal would be the absolute.”
(06/28/12 1:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana University graduate and 2008 NCAA Champion Ben Hesen came up just short of making the U.S. Olympic team, finishing fourth in the 100-meter backstroke finals Wednesday at the USA Swimming Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. Hesen swam the event in 53.03 seconds, less then a second behind winner and Northwestern alum Matt Grevers (52.08) and Nick Thorman (52.86). Grevers’ time is the second-fastest time in history. As the top two finishers, Grevers and Thorman earned Olympic berths. Below are the results of current Hoosiers that competed at the Trials today:
(06/27/12 2:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Former Hoosier standout swimmer Ben Hesen is one race away from a trip to the London Olympics.Hesen, a former All-American and 2008 NCAA Champion, has qualified for the 100-meter backstroke finals at the USA Swimming Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. He placed fourth in the semifinals with a time of 53.52. The top three finishers were Matt Grevers (a Northwestern alum), David Plummer and Nick Thoman. Earlier in the day, Hesen swam the fourth fastest time in the preliminaries (54.21 seconds) and won his heat. Junior James Wells finished 63rd (57.33) and former Hoosier John Kevin Koehler 123rd (59.34).In the 100-meter breaststroke, senior Ashley Specht finished 21st with a time of 1:09.66, second fastest in school history. Senior Jim Barbiere placed 25th in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:50.39, followed by sophomore Steve Schmuhl in 39th (1:51.10). Former Hoosier Titus Knight finished 83rd (1:52.78), followed by IU alums Andrew Taylor (91st- 1:53.21) and Koehler (94th- 1:53.40).In the 400-meter freestyle, junior Lindsay Vrooman took fourth in her heat (36th overall) with a time of 4:16.29th. Incoming freshman Haley Lips finished second in her heat (45th overall) with a time of 4:18.17, while Sophomore Lauren Jordan placed 91st with a time of 4:22.71.--Joe Popely
(06/27/12 1:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Athlete of the Year Allysa Vavra
came up two-tenths of a second short of advancing past the
400-meter individual medley preliminary round yesterday at the USA Olympic
Swimming Trials in Omaha, Neb. Vavra, also the 2012 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year, recorded a time of 4:43.36, second fastest in school history. But she placed ninth, one spot shy of qualifying for the evening finals. Kevin Swander, a former Hoosier All-American, also narrowly missed making the cut. After posting a time of 1:01.56 in the 100-meter breaststroke, he placed ninth in the evening semifinals with a time of 1:00.98. Like Vavra, Swander came incredibly close to advancing to the finals. His time was only one-tenth of a second behind the eighth and final qualifying spot. Sophomore swimmer Steve Schmul placed eleventh in the 400-meter individual medley prelims with a time of 4:21.78 (second fastest in IU history), while senior Sam Trahin placed sixteenth with a time of 4:22.90 (fourth fastest in IU history).In the 100-meter butterfly, incoming freshman Haley lips placed 66th (1:01.41) and recent graduate Kim Tracey placed 135th (1:02.99). Senior Jim Barbiere won his 400-meter freestyle heat and finished 22nd overall with a time of 3:54.87. In the same event, recent graduates Andrew Taylor placed (31st- 3:56.74) and John Schnittker (89th- 4:03.28) competed alongside senior Ryan Hinshaw (101st-4:05.38), and alums J.K. Koehler (49th- 3:58.97) and Titus Knight (104th- 4:05.80). The trials run through July 2. For comprehensive coverage, including results, webcasts and television schedules, visit usaswimming.org.--Joe Popely
(06/25/12 8:36pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Diving Trials came to a close with one former Hoosier, Christina Loukas, qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics after her second place finish in the senior women’s 3m springboard competition. Loukas finished with 1,017.85 points, sealing her spot in a second consecutive trip to the Olympics. The top two finishers made the U.S. Olympic Diving team. The competition was fierce over the seven-day trials at the Weyerhause Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash., as 120 divers competed for 14 coveted spots on the Olympic team. Current and former Hoosiers made it onto the board, but fell short of securing a spot on the team. Divers started collecting points in the preliminary rounds and accumulated them through the final rounds for a cumulative final score. Loukas and partner Kassidy Cook finished second in the synchronized women’s 3m springboard with a total of 955.98 points. Former IU divers Gabriella Agostino and Logan Kline finished sixth (742.20 points.).Only the top pair in that event made the Olympic team. Former IU diver Zachary Nees and his partner Samuel Dorman took seventh place in the synchronized men 3m springboard with a total of 1,028.73 points. Nees also placed twelfth in the senior men platform event with an individual score of 1,081.80 points. Two other Hoosiers ended the trials with strong finishes in the senior women’s platform event. Amy Cozad missed making the Olympic team by just 20 points, claiming third with 1,004.00 points. Amy Korthauer ranked sixth in the event with 939.00 points. Loukas finished just 77 points behind first place winner, Cassidy Krug, in the senior women’s 3m springboard. Loukas will join Krug at the Olympic Games in London. --Shannon Ireland
(06/25/12 6:55pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following breakout collegiate seasons that could culminate in a trip to the London Olympics, a pair of All-Americans and Big Ten champions added another award to their long lists of accomplishments. Senior swimmer Allysa Vavra and redshirt junior distance runner Andy Bayer were named the 2012 Indiana Athletes of the Year earlier today. Both Hoosier athletes have a chance to make the U.S. Olympic team during the USA Olympic Trials this week. "What a tremendous honor for Allysa Vavra,” IU Swimming Head Coach Ray Looze said in a release. “With so many outstanding teams here are Indiana, our staff is humbled that Allysa would receive such recognition for our athletic department. She has come a long way as a person and has bright future.” Vavra, the 2012 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year, is competing in the 400-meter individual medley, 200-meter individual medley, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter breaststroke and 200-meter backstroke throughout the week at the USA Swimming Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. Bayer, the 2012 NCAA outdoor 1,500-meter champion, will run in the qualifying round of the 1,500-meter race at 4:20 p.m. Thursday. The USA Track and Field Olympic Trials take place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. A three-time All-American, Bayer led the Hoosiers to their first Big Ten team title since 1992 at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in February. He captured Big Ten individual titles in the mile and 3,000-meter races."Andy has gone above and beyond all season for the team," Director and Head Coach of IU Track and Field Ron Helmer said in a release. "What he did at the Big Ten Indoor Championships was remarkable, and we would not have won a Big Ten title without him. “He has proved this year that he is one of the best runners in the country."Bayer’s performance earned him Track Athlete of the Big Ten Championships, but he wasn’t done there.To cap off the Big Ten outdoor season, Bayer won the 1,500-meter Big Ten title, helping IU finish third behind Wisconsin and Nebraska at the Big Ten outdoor Championships in Madison, Wisc. Once again, Bayer was looking forward to the next event. On June 9 at the NCAA Championships, Bayer won the NCAA 1,500-meter title, edging two-time defending champ from BYU Miles Batty by a mere .01 seconds. For her senior season, Vavra won two Big Ten titles and set three school records. Vavra also earned All-American honors, finishing eight in the 200-yard individual medley at the NCAA Championships in February. Her time of 1:55:58 in the prelims of that event is the second fastest in school history. Vavra followed up that performance with a fifth-place finish in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:01.73, also second fastest in school history and an All-American performance. She also earned All-American honors in the 200-yard breaststroke, placing seventh with a time of 2:09.61 at the NCAA meet. At the Big Ten Championships in February, Vavra made it back-to-back Big Ten 200-meter individual medley titles when she swam the event in a school-record 1:55.44. Vavra set records in two more events at the conference championships, winning the 400-meter individual medley by more than 10 seconds (4:01.41, a Big Ten and school record) and placed third in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:08.79, a school record).--Joe Popely
(06/22/12 6:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Recent IU graduate Margaux Farrell has already punched her ticket to this summer’s Olympics, but she might not be the last Hoosier swimmer that makes it to London.Farrell will swim for the French team, but starting Monday, 16 current and former IU swimmers will attempt to make the United States team at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb.Preliminary races will begin every day at 11 a.m. EST and finals will start at 7:45 p.m. EST. The Trials continue through July 2.The IU competitors include:Allysa VavraIU status: GraduatedEvents: 400-meter individual medley, 200-meter IM, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter breaststroke, 200-meter backstroke.Career notes: 2012 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year, currently a member of the U.S. national team in the 400-meter IM.Steve SchmuhlIU status: SophomoreEvents: 400-meter IM, 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter IM.Jim BarbiereIU status: SeniorEvent(s): 400-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 1,500-meter freestyle. Cody Miller IU status: Junior Events: 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke, 200-meter IMCareer notes: Two-time defending Big Ten Champion in 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke.Sam TrahinIU status: SeniorEvent(s): 400-meter IM, 200-meter breaststroke, 200-meter IMCareer notes: Placed fourth in the 400-yard IM at the NCAA Championships in March with a school-record time of 3:44.37. Kim Tracey IU status: Graduated Events: 400-meter IM, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter IMIan BoggsIU status: SophomoreEvents: 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststrokeLindsay VroomanIU status: JuniorEvents: 400-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, 800-meter freestyle Career notes: Won Big Ten title in 1,650-yard freestyle and finished sixth in the event at the 2012 NCAA Championships. Lauren JordanIU status: SophomoreEvents: 200-meter backstroke, 400-meter freestyle, 800-meter freestyleAndrew TaylorIU status: Graduated Events: 400-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle Katelyn IsheeIU status: Graduated Events: 200-meter breaststroke Daniel KanorrIU status: Senior Events: 50-meter freestyle John Schnittker IU status: Graduated Events: 400-meter freestyle Ashley Specht IU status: Senior Event(s): 100-meter breaststroke Sara Delay IU status: Sophomore Events: 50-meter freestyle James Wells IU status: Junior Events: 100-meter backstroke Ben Hesen IU status: Graduated Events: 100-meter backstroke Career notes: 2008 NCAA Champion in 100-yard backstroke and a former All-American. Kevin Swander IU status: Graduated Events: 100-meter breaststroke Misc: 2006 NCAA Runner-Up in 100-yard breaststroke and former All-American.
(06/22/12 4:47pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Former Hoosier diver Christina Loukas and partner Kassidy Cook narrowly missed qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics on Thursday, falling less than a half-point shy of wining the women’s synchronized three-meter springboard finals at the USA Diving Olympic Trials in Federal Way, Wash. In the synchronized three-meter springboard, Loukas and Cook finished with a score of 955.98 over three rounds, just 0.42 points behind winners Kelci Bryant and Abby Johnston (956.40). Only the top pair makes the Olympic team. Loukas, an IU graduate and 2009 NCAA Champion, can still make the Olympic team in the women’s three-meter springboard competition. Heading into Saturday’s final round, Loukas sits in second place with 679.65 points, 39.20 points behind leader Cassidy Krug (718.85). The top two finishers in the springboard competition will make the U.S. Olympic team. All USA Diving Olympic Trials events take place at the Weyerhauser Aquatic Center. --Joe Popely
(06/21/12 5:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU senior diver Amy Cozad is within striking distance of making the U.S. Olympic team heading into Sunday’s women’s platform final at the USA Diving Olympic Trials, held at the Weyerhauser Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash. Cozad sits in fourth with 660.50 points, 73.80 points behind leader Brittany Viola (734.30) and 43.25 points behind second place Katherine Bell (703.75). The top two finishers will make the Olympic squad. IU graduate Amy Korthauer, meanwhile, is in seventh place with 612.20 points. While Cozad and Korthauer will have to wait until Sunday to compete in the women’s platform finals for a spots on the Olympic team, former IU All-American Christina Loukas and partner Kassidy cook are in second place heading into the women’s three-meter synchronized event finals. The top pair of that event will make the U.S. Olympic team. Loukas and Cook are just 6.51 points behind leaders Kelci Bryant and Abby Johnson.The three-meter synchro finals will be broadcast live at 10 p.m. tonight on the NBC Sports Network.--Joe Popely