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(03/05/07 5:00am)
After a strong performance at the NCAA Zone C meet this weekend, the IU women’s diving squad put itself in a favorable position for next week’s NCAA championships. \nFour IU women – Christina Loukas, Lindsay Weigle, Heather Chapman and Brittney Feldman – qualified for the NCAA championship meet in Minneapolis, Minn.\nThe Hoosiers turned in a dominant performance, winning all three events at the meet. Loukas continued to impress on the springboards, taking first on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards with scores of 652.10 and 726.40, respectively. \n“Christina has definitely done very well,” diving coach Jeff Huber said after the meet. “She gets better and gains more confidence with every performance.”\nWeigle finished first on the platform with a score of 622.20 and took second on the 3-meter with a score of 632.95. Chapman qualified with her second-place score of 575.85 on the platform and Feldman turned in a fourth-place score of 577.25 on the 1-meter to qualify. \n“Lindsay and Heather looked great on the platform,” Huber said. “We’re also really pleased that Brittney was able to qualify as well. Anytime you can get four divers qualified, it’s great. It’s always fun to go to NCAAs with a team of divers.”\nThe four divers will join nine IU swimmers at the NCAA meet next weekend. \nOn the men’s side, IU was unable to qualify any divers for the NCAA championships.\nJunior Taylor Roberts turned in the best performance for the men. Despite diving with a dislocated finger, Roberts turned in a fifth-place finish on the 1-meter and a sixth-place finish on the 3-meter. \n“Taylor did a great job,” Huber said. “He really stepped up like a champion, and I’m really proud of the guy. It’s unfortunate that he’s not going to the NCAAs, because he is one of the top divers in the country.” \nSophomore Will Bohonyi and junior David Legler finished sixth and seventh on the platform, respectively. \n“We were a little off on the platform today,” Huber said. “We put in our best effort at the end, but there were maybe two dives out of 12 that we just missed and that made the difference.”\nAlthough the NCAA diving season is over for the men, they will still work hard to prepare for the U.S. Spring Nationals. \n“We did some great stuff this year,” Huber said. “Hopefully we can use the time off to get ready for a good performance at the Spring Nationals.”
(03/02/07 5:00am)
At the Big Ten championships two weeks ago, the IU men’s diving squad struggled on the 1-meter board, failing to qualify anyone in the finals. However, with a renewed attention to detail and mental preparation, diving coach Jeff Huber believes the Hoosiers are ready to return to their winning ways at the NCAA Zone C Diving meet. \n“We are usually pretty dominant on the 1-meter,” Huber said at a recent practice. “Big Tens was really a wake-up call. We were doing the little things wrong in practice and they showed up in the meet.”\nIU will dive in the NCAA Zone C meet March 2-4 at Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor, Mich. \nAll four IU divers qualified to compete in the meet – juniors Taylor Roberts and David Legler, freshman David Piercy and sophomore Will Bohonyi. The meet will serve as a qualifier for the NCAA championships that take place March 15-17 in Minneapolis.\nAfter a second place performance on the platform at the Big Ten meet, Legler believes he can have a repeat performance this weekend.\n“It was a really good experience to perform well in a big meet like the Big Tens,” he said. “If I take one dive at a time and keep calm, I’ll do well.”\nAside from the physical training this week, Coach Huber has emphasized the mental aspect of the teams’ diving. \n“We brought in the sports psychologist for USA Diving,” Huber said. “Our divers had a nice question and answer session with him and I think it really reminded the divers of some important points. As the stakes go up so does the anxiety. We just want to be aggressive and confident and do our thing.”\nWhile the men’s squad struggled a bit at Big Tens, the women’s squad flourished. \nAfter helping the women’s swimming and diving team to its first Big Ten title since 2003, the Hoosier diving squad will have its eyes on a higher prize as they compete at the NCAA Zone C meet. \n“At the end of the season, we traditionally train hard for the zone meet,” Huber said. “It was great winning the Big Tens, but a lot of our divers are focused on competing for an NCAA championship.”\nIU qualified all of its divers to compete in the meet this weekend for a spot in the NCAA Championships that take place March 8-10 for the women’s side. \nThe Hoosiers will carry momentum from the Big Ten meet into this weekend as many divers had strong performances. \nJunior Christina Loukas swept the diving events, the 1-meter, 3-meter and platform, earning Diver of the Championships. Senior Lindsay Weigle finished second on the platform and fourth on the 3-meter. Freshman Brittney Feldman placed third on the three-meter and senior Heather Chapman placed fourth on the platform. \nHuber hopes the women’s team can maintain its focus and improve on its diving from the Big Ten meet. \n“We have been rehearsing a meet schedule all week long,” he said. “We’ve been identifying some of our weaknesses from Big Tens. With a week to zero in on our mistakes, hopefully we can correct them for this weekend.”\nAfter a hard week of training, Chapman believes it will pay off this weekend. \n“Coach Huber has us really prepared to take on the challenges we will face at this meet,” Chapman said. “I think rehearsing the meet schedules will really help, especially with such a big team. It allows us to prepare for a competitive atmosphere.”
(02/20/07 5:00am)
School records fell and personal bests were shattered as the IU men’s swimming and diving team competed in the Big Ten championships in Columbus, Ohio. But the individual accomplishments were not enough to erase the disappointment of a fourth-place finish. \n“We had some outstanding individual performances,” swimming coach Ray Looze said. “I couldn’t have been more pleased with a number of our swimmers. As a team, it was pretty disappointing. From a coaching standpoint and a swimming standpoint, we just didn’t get the job done to comfortably finish where we should have.”\nIU competed in the Big Ten championships last weekend at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The Hoosiers finished in fourth with 494 points, just one point behind third place Ohio State. Minnesota finished first with 612.5 points and Michigan was runner up with 608.5 points. \nJunior Ben Hesen set a school record in the 100-yard backstroke with his opening leg of the 400-yard medley relay during the first day of the championships. \nHesen didn’t let his record stand for long. The next day he broke his own record, swimming to a time of 45.52 and a first place finish in the 100-yard backstroke.\n“It feels great to win, but it also feels great to win for my team,” Hesen said. “My favorite part of winning was looking over and seeing my teammates support and cheer for me.” \nThe Hoosiers were also led by junior Pat Penoyar and sophomore Nick Walkotten. Penoyar notched second place results in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, swimming to a career best time of 53.67 in the 100. \nWalkotten also finished second in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly, breaking his own-school record in the 100 with a time of 47.21. \nThe 200-yard medley relay team of Hesen, Penoyar, Walkotten and freshman Matt Lenton touched in second place with a time of 1:26.04, the second best time in school history. \nOn the diving side, the Hoosiers got off to a slow start on the one-meter board. Junior Taylor Roberts was the top finisher with a 10th place finish. \n“We were definitely surprised with our performance on the first day,” diving coach Jeff Huber said. “Our whole team was a little off. It was a bit of a shock.”\nIU rebounded with good performances on the 3-meter board and platform. Roberts finished second on the 3-meter with a score of 405.75, only one point out of first. On the platform, junior David Legler finished second with a score of 377.2. Roberts followed in 5th with a score of 340.95 and sophomore Will Bohonyi placed 7th with a score of 327.9. \nThe Hoosiers hope to use the disappointment they feel now as motivation for a strong showing at the NCAA championships. \n“We are not pleased with 4th place,” Huber said. “We’ll train harder this week and hopefully we’ll have a better performance on the one meter at NCAAs.”\nLooze knows that missing third place by one point is a bitter feeling that will linger for a while, but he hopes his team can learn from it.\n“It’s almost fitting that we missed third by one point,” Looze said. “As a coach, that gives me the opportunity to teach. We’ll address the team aspect and get back to the drawing board. With our individual performances, I’m excited for our chances at NCAAs.”
(02/12/07 3:17am)
The IU women's swimming and diving team watched a year ago as the men's squad won the Big Ten championships in Bloomington. \n"After the meet, the next day, a group of girls came into my office," swimming coach Ray Looze said. "They said to me, 'That's what we want to do next year, that's the kind of fun we want to have.'"\nA year later it is all fun and smiles around the IU women's swimming and diving program. \nThe Hoosiers claimed their first Big Ten title since 2003 this weekend at University Aquatic Center in Minneapolis. IU earned a three-day score of 715.5. Michigan finished second with 562 and Penn State placed third with 537.5. \nIU junior diver Christina Loukas became the second diver in school history to sweep all three diving events at the Big Ten championships. Loukas won the 1-meter and 3-meter championship, setting a school record with a score of 387.95 in the 3-meter. Then she surprised even herself, winning the platform with a school record of 358.8 on her way to earning Diver of the Championships. \n"I knew I was capable of winning all three, but I wasn't really considering it," Loukas said. "I just wanted to go after my dives. I see myself as a springboard diver. I knew I had a good chance (in the springboard events) ... but the 10-meter I wasn't so sure about." \nSenior Leila Vaziri and freshman Presley Bard led the IU swimmers with strong performances. Vaziri set a Big Ten record in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 52.85. Vaziri finished in time to see her teammate Bard touch in second place. \n"It feels incredible," Vaziri said. "It's my last Big Tens and I get to leave my career with some kind of mark and I am really happy with it."\nIn the 200-yard backstroke, Bard finished first with a time of 1:55.62. Vaziri and freshman Ashley Jones were third and fourth, respectively.\nBard's swimming at the meet earned her Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. \nAlong with senior Annica Loftstedt and sophomore Sarah Stockwell, Vaziri and Bard also led the 400-yard medley relay team to a first place finish with a school-record time of 3:38.16. \nSophomore Allison Kay added a victory in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:58.40 and freshman Amilee Smith set an IU record in the 200-yard breaststroke earning second place with a time of 2:14.14. \n"Our team is so unified and has exceptional chemistry," Looze said. "We didn't start off great on the first day. We have a young team so we really had to learn on the fly, but we were really able to show our poise and composure."\nAside from Loukas, several Hoosiers had impressive showings on the diving side. In the 1-meter, freshman Brittney Feldman finished fifth and senior Lindsay Weigle took sixth. In the 3-meter, Feldman was third and Weigle fourth. On the platform, Weigle was second, while senior Heather Chapman finished fourth. \n"This is not something that our team lucked into," diving coach Jeff Huber said. "They have trained really hard and it is great to see a couple of our seniors go out in style."\nBoth Looze and Huber took home honors as well, earning Big Ten swimming and diving Coach of the Year honors. \n"I'm just so happy for the team," Looze said. "The coaches give all the credit to the girls. It's a great feeling right now"
(02/09/07 4:29am)
Last year, IU junior swimmer Ben Hesen helped lead the men's swimming and diving team to its first Big Ten title in 21 years. While he believes that experience will help the team at this year's conference tournament, he said he expects that the upperclassmen will find this meet similar to last year's.\n"My freshman year we were really in a shootout and we ended up losing by three points," Hesen said. "With so many good teams in the Big Ten this year, I expect it to be another shootout. It's good that the upperclassmen have been in a meet like that. We're going to need to battle for everything. Every point will be huge."\nThe Big Ten championships will be held Feb. 15-17 at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio. \nThe conference's field will be extremely competitive, with six teams ranked in the top 25 and five in the top 15. Despite the rankings, IU coach Ray Looze said he believes one team is the clear favorite. \n"Minnesota should be considered the favorite, hands down," Looze said. "They have 20 guys seeded into the top 16. We're a bit of an unknown, so there's a huge gap that we have to close."\nLooze said he expects IU will trail after the first day of competition, so he has prepared the team to swim from behind.\n"It's a three-day meet, so we have to be prepared to swim from behind," he said. "We've been in those situations before. We have to keep our poise and keep chopping wood. We can't be scoreboard watching, we just have to take care of business."\nHesen said he remembers the Purdue meet, when the Hoosiers suffered disqualifications and fell behind early. \n"Against Purdue, we were down 13 points basically right away," Hesen said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't come back. The Big Ten (tournament) is a three-day format and the first day isn't our strongest. So, we can't give up until the end. We have to keep swimming hard."\nOn the diving side, depth should play an important factor for the Hoosiers. All-American junior Taylor Roberts has been dominant all year, but several other IU divers are beginning to step up as well. \n"(Junior) David Legler, (freshman) David Piercy and (sophomore) Will Bohonyi are starting to give us some nice balance," diving coach Jeff Huber said. "They are really working hard and are doing a lot of nice things. That should help us coming into this meet"
(02/08/07 3:51am)
Although the IU women's swimming and diving team heads into this weekend's Big Ten championships as the highest ranked team in the Big Ten, coach Ray Looze insists they aren't making the trip to Minneapolis as the favorites.\n"The rankings are based on the dual meet system and are really just speculation," Looze said. "We finished in fourth place last year and, based on the seeds, we're picked to finish third or fourth again this year."\nThe Big Ten championships begin today and will continue through Saturday at the University Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.\nThe Hoosiers finished the season 5-0 in dual meets, besting every challenge placed before them, and many of the \nswimmers think they can do the same at the Big Ten championships. \n"We are being considered underdogs, but we all believe we can win," senior Susanna Ernst said. "I think the fact that others doubt us will give us more motivation."\nThe Hoosiers boast a favorable combination of young talent and senior leadership. Going into a big meet like the Big Tens, the underclassmen will look for support from their teammates who have been there before, Looze said.\n"Having senior leaders is always helpful, especially with so many young swimmers on our team this year," Looze said. "Our seniors are already starting to share some of their wisdom with the younger people, trying to keep them relaxed."\nJunior diver Christina Loukas remembers the nerves she experienced her freshman year and hopes she can help ease the jitters of other team members. \n"My freshman year I was pretty nervous," Loukas said. "The upperclassmen were real helpful for me. They made me feel like it was just another meet. So, hopefully I can do the same for our younger divers now." \nThe Hoosiers have been training for the Big Ten meet the entire season.\n"Our work is basically done," diving coach Jeff Huber said. "The hay is in the barn as far as training is concerned. Now we have to sit back, relax and get ready to dive well."\nIU last claimed a Big Ten title during the 2003 season. While they have finished in the top five the last three seasons, Looze believes the formula for getting over the hump is simple. \n"We just need to worry about ourselves and take care of our business," he said. "We need to stay relaxed and stress-free and focus on what we need to do to be successful"
(02/07/07 3:47am)
On Jan. 26, IU diver Christina Loukas browsed the USA diving Web site looking for her name. Later that day, Loukas got a call from diving coach Jeff Huber confirming what she saw. \nFor the second time in three years, Loukas will represent the United States in the FINA World Championships. Loukas is one of 14 divers on the team and will compete in the 1-meter event.\n"I was really excited when I saw my name," Loukas said. "I was pretty nervous about making the team. I was a little upset I didn't make it in any other events, but I'm happy I have the chance to represent my country."\nThe FINA World Championships will be held in Melbourne, Australia, from March 18 to April 1. \nIn the 2005 world championships, Loukas finished sixth overall in the 1-meter. Although she had an impressive showing, she said that nerves got the best of her.\n"I was really tense," Loukas said. "I could really feel it in my dives."\nLoukas hopes her previous experience in the event will allow her to be more relaxed this time around. \n"I think I will enjoy it more this time," Loukas said. "I know what it's like having been there before. I want to stay focused and not hold back at all."\nLoukas has been named Big Ten Diver of the Week three times this season and hopes to translate her success this season into a good showing at the world championships. \n"My goal is to improve on my performance from last time," Loukas said. "I know I have the potential to finish in the top three, but anywhere higher than sixth place and I'll be happy."\nLoukas and the rest of the IU women's swimming and diving team will be competing in the Big Ten championships Feb. 8 to 10 in Minneapolis.\nLast year at the Big Tens, Loukas placed first in the 1-meter and second on the platform, earning Diver of the Championships. \nLoukas said that if she focuses on how she has performed all year, she could see a repeat performance this year. \n"Last year I did really well," Loukas said. "As long as I stay calm and do the dives I've been doing in practice, I should be fine." \nLoukas believes that diving in a pressure scenario like the selection camp will help her in a big meet like the Big Tens. \n"We had to go through four lists of dives and all of them were just as important as the others," Loukas said. "That really helped me be consistent on each dive. I think that will give me a lot of confidence heading into the Big Tens"
(01/26/07 4:50am)
IU sophomore swimmer Heath Tameris swam in his first IU-Purdue meet last year. Growing up in Ohio, Tameris wasn't aware of the intensity of the in-state rivalry. After swimming in last year's meet, however, Tameris recognizes that there is more on the line than usual when these two teams compete. \nHe knows this weekend's meet against Purdue will be intense, but he also knows that the meet will be the team's last tune up before the Big Ten championships. \n"It's a big meet because our teams usually fight for recruits from Indiana," Tameris said. "A lot of the guys swam against each other in high school and now the rivalry is continuing in college. This is our last dual meet though and we need to stay focused on the details like starts, turns and just keep up with our fundamentals."\nTameris and the rest of the Hoosier squad will travel to West Lafayette to take on Purdue on Saturday at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center. The No. 15 Hoosiers will look to improve on their 4-3-1 overall record against the No. 19 Boilermakers. \nIU coach Ray Looze downplayed the rivalry, focusing on the team's preparation for the Big Ten championships. \n"Purdue is a very tough opponent," Looze said. "One of the keys is for us to win the two relays. We need seed times for the Big Tens, so we'll be putting a lot into those relays. I think we will really try to drop our times all around trying to get seeds for Big Tens. This is just another step heading into the championship season."\nOn the diving side, the Hoosiers will be going up against a tough Purdue squad and will be a bit undermanned. Diving coach Jeff Huber said the main focus will be staying healthy for the rest of the season. \n"Our training has been pretty good," Huber said. "At this point we just need to get healthy. We've done pretty much all of the work that we can at this point in the season. We're not going to have a full squad at Purdue because of some fatigue and injuries, so it should be a tough meet."\nAfter the meet this weekend, IU will prepare for the Big Ten championships Feb. 15-17 in Columbus, Ohio.
(01/22/07 5:02am)
As the IU men's swimming and diving team honored its seniors on Senior Day, it was the underclassmen who stole the show. The Hoosiers topped Missouri 153-146 at Councilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center Saturday.\nThe meet started with a ceremony honoring the seven seniors.\n"It was a little sad going out there in my last home meet," senior Lee Houchin said. "I've had a lot of good times here and it's been a lot of fun."\nJuniors Pat Penoyar and John Kevin Koehler and sophomore Nick Walkotten lead the Hoosiers with three wins apiece. Penoyar and Walkotten were part of the winning 200-yard medley relay team along with Ben Hesen and Matt Lenton. \nOn the diving side, the Hoosiers dominated the 3-meter, taking the top four places. Taylor Roberts dove to another win and Will Bohonyi, David Legler and David Piercy rounded out the scoring. \n"We did a great job," assistant diving coach Todd Waikel said. "We usually train them right through dual meet competition, so it was really impressive that we had such a good performance today."\nOn the women's side, the seniors on the IU women's swimming and diving team were sent out in style as they led the Hoosiers to a 166-121 win over Missouri on Senior Day. The win moved IU's final record to 5-0 in dual-meet competition, which is only the second undefeated season in school history.\nSeniors Leila Vaziri and Annica Lofstedt led the way for the Hoosiers in their last home meet, with Vaziri winning four events and Lofstedt winning three. \n"It was a bit emotional, but in a good way," Lofstedt said. "I look back on four years here and there have been so many ups and downs. I was real happy with how I swam today though and we have a really good team this year."\nFreshman Cassie Luhrsen swam well in the distance events, winning the 500 and 1,650 yard freestyle. IU also got wins from Stockwell in the 100-yard breast stroke, Kristin Cihoski in the 100-yard backstroke, Amilee Smith in the 200-yard breast stroke, and Brittany Barwegen in the 200-yard butterfly. \n"We performed solidly," swimming coach Ray Looze said. "There were no letdowns and there were a few nice surprises. It was really nice to send the seniors out on a high note."\nOn the diving side, senior Lindsay Weigle dominated the competition, winning the 3-meter and the platform competitions. Freshman Brittney Yancey placed third in the 3-meter and senior Heather Chapman took second on the platform. \nAfter wrapping up the dual-meet season, the Hoosiers will head to the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis from Feb. 8-10. While the Hoosiers still have two weeks to prepare, they have been training for the Big Ten all season long. \n"We're right on track," assistant diving coach Todd Waikel said. "We have to keep looking ahead and have the standards set high. I think we're headed towards a good competition at the Big Ten"
(01/19/07 4:28am)
IU senior swimmer Clarissa Wentworth has been swimming competitively since high school. As she looks back on her swimming career and prepares for her last home meet as a Hoosier, she can't help but feel a mix of emotions. \n"It will be a little bittersweet," Wentworth said. "It's sad knowing it will be the last dual meet here at home, but it's exciting because it does honor us seniors. It's been a really unique experience swimming for a program like IU. This kind of marks the end of the end as far as competitive swimming for me."\nThe IU men's and women's swimming and diving teams will honor 11 seniors as they face Missouri on Senior Day this Saturday at Councilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. \nBoth Hoosier squads are returning to action after a successful weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich. The men were able to tie No. 12 Michigan and the women took first place in the Michigan Invitational. Despite the success, swimming coach Ray Looze said he doesn't expect a let down this weekend against Missouri. \n"I don't expect a difference in performance," Looze said. "This is a preparation team. Since early in the season, we've been focused on being prepared for every meet. I think we'll come out and swim well against a very good opponent in Missouri."\nThe men's squad has four seniors, Paul Sigfusson, Ryan Millard, Lee Houchin and Ryan McNeill. The women's team includes seniors Wentworth, Heather Chapman, Lindsay Weigle, Susanna Ernst, Annica Lofstedt, Leila Vaziri and Jade Summerlin, who is a junior graduating early. \nThese seniors have been through a lot and have helped return the IU program to levels of past success, Looze said. \n"The seniors have led us through a tough time," Looze said. "They have really guided the rebuilding efforts of both teams. The men have gone from the bottom of the Big Ten to the top, winning the Big Tens last year and the women are now contenders to win the Big Ten this year. They have a lot of perspective and have been able to share that with the freshmen and sophomores." \nDiving coach Jeff Huber also raves about his senior divers and what they have accomplished. \n"They've been great team members," Huber said. "It will be a real proud moment (on Saturday). It's not easy to get a degree and make it through our diving program. It's a great accomplishment and I hope they've learned things that extend beyond diving"
(01/16/07 4:11am)
IU swimming coach Ray Looze has been coaching long enough to know that it doesn't always take the most talented team to get the best results. He points to the unity and chemistry of this year's women's swimming and diving squad as the key to its undefeated start. \n"Chemistry has to be a separating factor," Looze said. "Even if you don't have the most talent on paper, if you're victorious, nine times out of 10 you're the tighter and more unified team." \nThis weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich., IU's team chemistry was on display again as they topped two ranked opponents to win the Michigan Invitational. The No. 13 Hoosiers finished the two-day meet with 1,460.5 points. No. 19 Notre Dame finished second with 1,074 points, No. 10 Michigan was third with 1,052.5 points and Illinois finished fourth with 417 points. \nSophomore Sarah Stockwell continued her dominance in the breaststroke events, winning the 100- and 200-yard events. Senior Leila Vaziri won the 100-yard backstroke, with freshman Presley Bard finishing in second. Bard and Vaziri switched places in the 200-yard backstroke, with Bard taking first and Vaziri tying for second. \nIU picked up additional wins from sophomore Allison Kay in the 400-yard individual medley and the 800-yard freestyle relay team of Vaziri, Kay, senior Clarissa Wentworth and freshman Emily Lanteigne.\n"Our girls were anxious to compete after the long layoff," Looze said. "I was surprised at how many of the girls swam well. I'd say 98-99 percent of the girls had good performances." \nThe Hoosiers competed strongly in the diving, even without their top diver, junior Christina Loukas. Freshman Brittney Feldman and senior Lindsay Weigle finished second and third in the 1-meter. Weigle finished first and senior Heather Chapman second in the platform, which counted as an exhibition event. \n"We're a very deep team and it shows," assistant diving coach Todd Waikel said. "We knew all along, that even without our top diver, we're one of the best diving squads in the country. All the girls did a great job and I was very pleased with the performance."\nWhile IU has cruised to an unblemished start, Looze knows there will be roadblocks along the way, but he also knows this team will face them together. \n"This women's team is really tight," Looze said. "This was another step in our quest to win the Big Ten. We know that there will still be adversity along the way. We don't know when or where it will take place, but we have a much better chance to overcome it as a team"
(01/16/07 4:11am)
The IU men's swimming and diving program is rich with history and tradition. For a program that dates back to 1923 and has seen countless All-Americans come and go, Saturday's tie result in Ann Arbor, Mich., marked the first such result in the 84-year program history.\nThe No. 15 Hoosiers battled No. 12 Michigan to a 150-150 stalemate. It is also the first ever tie at Canham Natatorium.\nMichigan holds a 38-meet unbeaten streak in Big Ten dual meets, and IU hasn't won in Ann Arbor since the 1980-81 season. \nAlthough the result of the meet was the same as when it began, it was what happened in between that will help this Hoosier squad in the final stretch of the season, said IU coach Ray Looze. \n"That was a real back-and-forth meet. I've never been in a meet with that many changes and adjustments on the fly," Looze said. "We expect a very tight battle at the Big Tens, so this was very good experience. Our veterans have been in close meets before, but it was good for the freshmen and sophomores to experience a meet as closely contested as this one." \nJunior Ben Hesen led the way for IU with three wins, and junior Pat Penoyar added another two wins. Hesen won the 100- and 200-yard backstroke, along with the 100-yard butterfly and Penoyar took the 100- and 200-yard breast stroke. \nHesen, Penoyar, sophomore Nick Walkotten and sophomore Matt Lenton started off the meet with a win for the Hoosiers in the 200-yard medley relay. Lenton also added his second consecutive win in the 50-yard freestyle. \nOn the diving side, junior Taylor Roberts returned to action after missing last week's meet against Ohio State. Roberts again dove well, winning the 1-meter and 3-meter diving competitions. On the 1-meter board, freshman David Piercy followed Roberts in second place; sophomore Will Bohonyi was fourth. On the 3-meter board, junior David Legler and Bohonyi finished second and third, respectively. \n"Taylor Roberts coming back was big for us," assistant diving coach Todd Waikel said. "He didn't skip a beat. He had a great performance, winning both boards. Going one, two, three on the 3-meter will also be a big boost for our confidence down the road." \nIt took the Hoosiers' best shot to come away with a tie against a tough Michigan team on the road, Looze said. \n"The order of events in the meet really favored Michigan, and they were ranked three spots ahead of us," Looze said. "We knew it would be an uphill battle coming in. I'm really proud of the way we competed and the class that we showed"
(01/12/07 4:52am)
The IU men's swimming and diving team on Saturday will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., for a pivotal meet against Michigan at Canham Natatorium. No. 15 IU stands at 3-3 on the season and 1-1 in the Big Ten. Michigan is ranked No. 12 and is 4-4 on the season and 1-1 in the Big Ten.\nThe Hoosiers are coming off a Big Ten victory over Ohio State last week. IU was led by junior Todd Patrick, who was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week. Patrick won the 200-yard individual medley and the 100- and 200-yard freestyle. Also picking up two wins for IU were juniors Ben Hesen and Pat Penoyar and sophomore Nick Walkotten. \n"Historically, this is the time of the year when we really start to swim fast and perform," said distance coach Mike Westphal. "The second semester is when we really start to take some time off of our swims." \nOn the diving side last week at Ohio State, junior Justin Montrie placed sixth in the 1-meter diving and sophomore Will Bohonyi finished fourth in the 3-meter. The Hoosiers were without All-American junior Taylor Roberts, who suffered a concussion in practice. Head diving coach Jeff Huber said it is still uncertain whether Roberts will dive against Michigan.\n"He's over the concussion," Huber said, "but he missed a lot of training while he was out. He's had to train real hard this week and is pretty tired. We're leaving it up to him to decide if he can go this week." \nIU hasn't won at Michigan since the 1980-1981 season and hasn't beaten the Wolverines in a dual meet since Jan. 23, 1999, in Bloomington. \n"It's been a very long time since we've beaten Michigan in a dual meet," Westphal said. "We've had tough road tests already this season. We got it handed to us at Texas, but we went into Ohio State and swam well last week. I think we're ready for a good meet this weekend."\nAfter a two-month layoff from team competition, the IU women's swimming and diving team will travel to Ann Arbor as well. The Hoosiers will take on Illinois, No. 10 Michigan and No. 19 Notre Dame. IU is ranked No. 13 and is still undefeated on the season at 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten.\nThe swimmers have had a long layoff, but are eager to return to competition this weekend. \n"I think the layoff will be a positive thing," Westphal said. "The girls are chomping at the bit to get back to competition to see what they can do. We've been training for a month now and we're ready to go." \nThe divers have been training hard over break and are ready for competition. \n"We had a very good week of training the last week of break," Huber said. "This past week has been tough because of the beginning of classes. Since most of our season is geared towards the championships, this meet should be a good training opportunity. \n"Michigan is the site of the NCAA Zone Diving Championships, so it should be a good experience for later on in the season"
(01/08/07 4:58am)
For the third time in its last four dual meets, the IU men's swimming and diving team was victorious, this time knocking off the No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes. \nOn Saturday, the No. 15 Hoosiers edged out the Buckeyes 154-146 at the McCorkie Aquatic Pavilion. Even though IU seemingly controlled the meet, winning 11 out of 16 events, the final score was close. \n"We expected a tough meet coming in," coach Ray Looze said. "They were ranked a spot higher than us and we thought it would be close, and it went as expected. Our swimmers and divers were eager to compete again and we were pleased with how they responded."\nJunior Todd Patrick paced the Hoosiers, picking up three individual wins. Patrick won the 100- and 200-yard freestyle, along with the 200-yard individual medley. \nJuniors Ben Hesen and Pat Penoyar, along with sophomore Nick Walkotten, each added two wins for the victorious Hoosiers. Hesen won the 100- and 200-yard backstroke, Penoyar took first in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke and Walkotten picked up wins in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly. \nThe Hoosiers also welcomed sophomore Matt Lenton's first performance for IU. Lenton, along with Hesen, Penoyar and Patrick, opened the meet with a first-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay. Lenton continued his strong debut with an impressive win in the 50-yard freestyle. \n"We were pleased to have Matt come onboard," Looze said. "This meet was a real good start to his career."\nOn the diving side, the Hoosiers were without All-American junior Taylor Roberts, who was injured in practice. \nIU struggled without Roberts against a strong Buckeyes diving squad. Junior Justin Montrie took sixth in the 1-meter diving for IU's best finish, and sophomore Will Bohonyi was the top finisher in the 3-meter diving, placing fourth. \n"This meet was a nice step in the process," Looze said. "Next week will be a challenge at Michigan. They are ranked highly and are one of the favorites to win the Big Ten. We'll know a lot more about our team after next weekend"
(12/08/06 4:42am)
Bloomington resident Kadour Ziani, also known as "the Zianimal," is 33 years old and stands 5-foot-10. His vertical jump is 56 inches, almost 5 feet. \nTo those who follow professional dunking, he is already a legend, but for those who don't, he may need an introduction. \nZiani received some national exposure Dec. 1 when he made an appearance on Fox Sports Network's "Best Damn Sports Show Period." Guest starring with legendary NFL quarterback Joe Namath and NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, Ziani set an unofficial world record for the highest kick by kicking a board 9-feet-9 inches tall.\nZiani said the appearance on the sports show has already led to a slightly inflated celebrity status. After the appearance on the show, he traveled to Venice Beach, Calif., where he was quickly recognized by many locals.\n"A large crowd of people would gather around me," Ziani said. "They would be saying, 'Hey, that's the dude who can kick the rim.'"\nZiani, a professional dunker, has traveled around the world performing showcases for the dunking group Slam Nation. He has several trademark slams, including "kick the rim" -- where, using his foot, he dislodges a basketball wedged into the corner of a backboard and rim -- along with the "double windmill." Ziani performed both of his trademark dunks on the Fox show plus a 360-degree spin dunk. Even though he's done these moves hundreds of times in all different settings, Ziani said it was different in front of a studio audience. \n"You have to be ready when they call you," he said. "It creates a lot of pressure. There's no time to warm up, and everyone is looking and waiting. There's no place to concentrate; it has to be in your mind."\nIt took Ziani three tries to break the record, but he was eventually able to get high enough to kick the board. \n"I trained very hard to be ready," he said. "I've been waiting all my life for this opportunity, but I couldn't have done it without the crowd. After I did it, it was a feeling of liberation. It was one of the best emotions in my life. I cried afterwards."\nOriginally from France, Ziani lives in Bloomington with IU senior Aaron Allen. Allen is filming a dunking documentary called "Flying 101," slated for release on DVD in February 2007. The two met while Allen was studying at Oxford in England. Ziani shared Allen's vision for the documentary and decided to move to Bloomington for training and to continue his craft. \n"One of my philosophies is show and not tell," Ziani said. "That's one of the nice things about this project. It shows all the training that I have to go through just for those two seconds in the air."\nZiani said people have frequently doubted his abilities. After attempting the world record on Fox, show host and former NBA player John Salley said, "Who would think legs that skinny could jump that high?"\nBy overcoming his height and others' doubts, Ziani believes he gives others hope.\n"You can never be scared to try," he said.
(12/04/06 5:18am)
To say that sophomore Sarah Stockwell has had a good two weeks of swimming would be an understatement. \nAt the U.S. Open Invitational in West Lafayette this weekend, Stockwell broke her second-straight school record in as many competitions. Fresh off her school-record performance in the 100-yard breaststroke at the IU Open Invitational Nov. 17-19, Stockwell broke her own school mark in the 100-meter breaststroke event. She swam to a third-place tie in the C-final with a time of 1:12.83, which erased her old mark of 1:13.91. \nStockwell, along with six other IU women swimmers, took part in the U.S. Open Invitational during the weekend at Boilermaker Aquatic Center. Swimmers from all over the world took part in the three-day competition, \nIU senior Leila Vaziri turned in the best overall performance for the Hoosiers, swimming to a second-place finish in the 100-meter backstroke. Vaziri finished with a time of 1:03.52, trailing only Kristy Coventry, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist from Zimbabwe. Vaziri also took fourth in the B-final of the 100-meter freestyle and fifth in the C-final of the 200-meter backstroke. Freshman Presley Bard placed fourth in the B-final of the 100-meter backstroke and 39th in the prelims of the 200-meter backstroke. \n"I am obviously very pleased with the performances of Sarah and Leila, along with Presley Bard," IU swimming coach Ray Looze said. "Any time you can qualify for a swim in the bonus, consolation or championship heat in a competition like this, you know you're doing a good job."\nAlong with Bard, several other freshmen took part in the competition. Emma Berry swam in the 200- and 400-meter freestyle prelims, finishing 91st and 57th, respectively. Ashley Jones' best finish in the event was 55th in the 200-meter backstroke prelims, while Amilee Smith finished eighth in the C-final of the 100-meter freestyle.\n"The freshmen did a good job," Looze said. "This will definitely help them down the road. This meet was mostly for the experience of going against good international competition"
(12/04/06 5:17am)
The IU swimming team sent four swimmers to compete in the U.S. Open Invitational at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette this weekend.\nThree Hoosiers earned final swims in the 1,500-meter freestyle competition. Senior Ryan McNeill finished 24th overall with a time of 16:13.83. Junior John Kevin Koehler finished in 26th place (6:15.83) and sophomore Steffan Troxel placed 38th with a time of 16:37.06. Koehler also raced in the preliminaries of the 400-meter individual medley, finishing in 37th place with a time of 4:44.11.\nSwimmers from all over the world, including a number of U.S. Olympians, came to swim at the U.S. Open. The competition took place over three days, with preliminaries in the morning and finals at night for each event. \n"Our distance swimmers are pretty talented and very deep," IU swimming coach Ray Looze said. "Swimming in the U.S. Open against some of the best international competition will help us a lot for the Big Ten and NCAA competitions in March."\nJunior Pat Penoyar also competed in the preliminaries for the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke competitions. Penoyar turned in solid times, finishing 34th in the 100-meter event with a time of 1:07.28 and touching in at 2:29.02 in the 200-meter to finish 34th overall. \nU.S. Olympian and six-time gold medal winner Michael Phelps headlined the competition. Phelps turned in winning performances in four events and won the men's individual high point award. \nDespite competition from only a few swimmers, Looze viewed the event as a success.\n"With our heavy training and finals coming up, we selected athletes who were comfortable with their class schedule and had the ability to represent our team well," Looze said. "Overall, it was a good meet, and we accomplished what we wanted to. Our focus now is on finishing up in the classroom."\nFormer IU All-American and current student-coach Sergiy Fesenko finished third in the 1,500-meter freestyle. He was the top seed in the 1,500 free and turned in a time of 15:29.12 to finish third.
(11/20/06 5:23am)
The IU women's swimming and diving team also hosted teams at the IU Open Invitational this weekend. Nine teams in total competed. The Hoosiers had a strong overall performance and were able to show off their depth. The highlight of the weekend was sophomore Sarah Stockwell's performance in the 100-yard breaststroke. Stockwell earned\na first-place finish with a time of 1:03.02, eclipsing her previous school record time of 1:03.06.\n"I wasn't really expecting to go that fast, so it felt great while I was out there," Stockwell said. "That should help a lot in getting ready for the Big Tens. As long as I keep up with my training, I should be able to get a high seed."\nSenior Leila Vaziri was impressive again, winning the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.59. Sophomore Allison Kay earned a first-place finish in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:24.73 with freshman Amilee Smith finishing second with a time of 4:25.36. Freshman Presley Bard raced out to a first-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, coming in with a time of 56.47. Freshman Ashley Jones won the 200-yard backstroke, coming in at 2:02.64.\nThe 400-yard medley relay team of Vaziri, Bard, Stockwell and Clarissa Wentworth won the event with a time of 3:46.22 and the 200-yard medley relay team of Bard, Stockwell, Wentworth and Emily Lanteigne took second place with a time of 1:43.84.\nThe IU divers also turned in impressive performances. Junior Christina Loukas notched another victory in the 1-meter diving event, winning the preliminaries, semifinals and finals. Loukas, who has gone undefeated all year, was finally knocked off in the finals of the 3-meter diving event, earning a fourth-place finish. Teammate and fellow senior Lindsay Weigle bested Loukas, taking first place in the event.\n"I think, overall, we have better depth than in years past," Looze said. "I think we still need to work on being fast when we're tired. The girls were definitely tired, but we need to be mentally prepared to fight through it"
(11/20/06 5:21am)
The IU men's swimming and diving team hosted the 11th annual IU Open Invitational this weekend at Councilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. IU hosted the unscored meet, welcoming eight teams to compete in the swimming events, diving events or both.\nThe men got strong performances from a pair of juniors, Taylor Roberts and Ben Hesen. Roberts impressed on the springboards, winning the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events. Hesen continued his dominance in the 100-yard backstroke, earning a first-place finish with a time of 48.63, a meet record. Hesen also placed second in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:47.48.\n"I think this meet was a little more fun for us," Hesen said. "There was less pressure on us as a team, so guys were joking around a little bit more. Any time you're able to act like a kid again when you swim, it's good. It can be very mentally stressful, so it's nice to forget all that."\nJunior Todd Patrick also had an outstanding showing, winning three events. He earned an NCAA-qualifying time of 1:49.01 in the 200-yard individual medley and also notched a first-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle.\nThe Hoosier relay teams also had noticeable results, posting four second-place finishes. The 200-yard medley relay team of Hesen, Patrick, Ronnie Hehn and Nick Walkotten impressed with a time of 1:30.52 and the 400-yard medley relay team of Hesen, Patrick, Hehn and Lee Houchin finished with a time of 3:24.29. The 800-yard freestyle relay team of Patrick, Houchin, J.K. Koehler and Alex Brunfeldt also swam to a second-place finish with a time of 6:52.19. In the final event of the meet, the 400-yard freestyle team of Hesen, Patrick, Walkotten and Houchin finished second with a time of 3:02.32, getting edged out by the University of Louisville's 'A' relay team.\nDespite the good results, swimming coach Ray Looze saw plenty of room for improvement.\n"It could have been a lot better," Looze said. "We swam all right at night, but our prelim times where not where they should have been. That last relay should not have ended like that. We can't let another team beat us out like that in our place. We have a lot to work on, but it's better to know now than later"
(11/17/06 4:52am)
The IU men's swimming and diving team will host a strong group of competitors in the 11th annual IU Open Invitational this weekend at Councilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The Hoosiers will play host to Louisville for swimming and diving; Cincinnati for swimming; and Stanford, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Florida International, Purdue and Miami University of Ohio for diving. \nThe No. 12-ranked Hoosiers are 2-3 on the season and lost to a pair of top five opponents, No. 3 University of Texas and No. 4 University of California, in their last meet. IU is looking to bounce back in this three-day, unscored meet. \nJunior swimmers Ben Hesen and Pat Penoyar were impressive in their last meet in Austin, winning the 100- and 200-yard backstroke, respectively. Hesen was named National Collegiate Swimmer of the Week by collegeswimming.com for his performance. \nJunior diver Taylor Roberts has also gotten off to a strong start this season. Roberts won the 3-meter diving competition in Austin and was named Big Ten Diver of the Week. \nThe Hoosiers have been training hard and are eager to get back into competition, diving coach Jeff Huber said. \n"My goal is to have them (the divers) dead tired by Thanksgiving," he said. "This weekend we'll have a chance to work on some new dives, and we hope to see some improvement. I think the meet will be well-attended and have very good competition."\nThe invitational will differ from the normal dual meet format, with preliminary heats in each event followed by the finals. \n"This is our first three day-long event. It should help us mentally prepare for the Big Ten meet because it mocks the format," senior captain Paul Sigfusson said. "The expectations are higher for this type of meet. If you don't swim well in the morning, you're not going to be able to come back for the afternoon session"