Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Look Towards a Challenge in Kentucky and Northwestern
10/31/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
October 31, 2000
Hoosiers Look Towards Challenging Weekend Against Kentucky and Northwestern
Meet Data
The women's swimming and diving team battles two sets of Wildcats this weekend. They take on Kentucky Friday at 6:00 p.m. in a coed meet, and Northwestern Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Both meets will take place at Counsilman and Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington.
Inside the Kentucky Series
Kentucky will be looking to get back on the winning side of the score as they travel north to Bloomington. Before going 1-4 in SEC East competition, they dominated Louisville in their season opener winning 130-86. Tierney looks for her first win against the Wildcats.
Inside the Northwestern Series
Northwestern finished third at Big Ten Championships last year, thanks in part to Tashianna Bohm who took second place in the 100 back. Indiana's Susan Woessner finished .31 seconds behind in fourth. Both return to face off on Saturday. Bohm (200 back), Merrit Adams (200 fly), and the 200 medley relay return as Northwestern's Big Ten Champions.
Head Swimming Coach Dorsey Tierney
Head Coach Dorsey Tierney begins her third year as head coach of the Indiana women's swim team. She is a gold medallist in 200-meter breaststroke in the 1987 Pan-American games and was a captain on the 1991 team. Tierney was also a finalist in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Trials.
Quoting Tierney
"This will definitely be our most challenging weekend for the whole first semester in dual meets. This year we match up pretty well (with Kentucky), especially our relays. Our relays are definitely our strongest point, as we can put two very strong relays up. We're going to do what we do every week, each individual putting together the strongest performance that they can. The key this weekend is Jenn Cristy. Her performance guides us as far as what everybody else is going to do, especially when we're facing some of the toughest competition out there.
"Northwestern is a top-10 team. As far as their dual meet team and their conference team, they're very balanced this year. Our distance swimmers and 400 IMers will have real good races. Northwestern has three very good 400 IMers. Their backstroke is real strong and their breaststroke is real strong. One area that we're probably a little bit stronger in is sprints, the 50, 100, 200 free and both relays. Once again the relays are key and once again Jenn Cristy is the key."
Head Diving Coach Dr. Jeff Huber
Head Coach Dr. Jeff Huber returns as a six-time Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year and two time U.S. National Diving Coach of the Year. He coached Indiana diver Sara Reiling to a 13th place finish in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Quoting Huber
"I'd like to see continued improvement. Kentucky's got a real good team, I know they'll be tough.
"This time of year we have worked a lot on the basics. We look forward to the Big Ten's and NCAA's. Everybody is working on skills and the basics right now. Even though we are not where we are supposed to be for the end of the season, we are not sacrificing this part of the season for the end."
All In The Family
It's a Tierney showdown as Indiana's Tierney welcomes her brother, Northwestern head coach Jimmy Tierney. Jimmy Tierney is in his 13th year of involvement with Northwestern's women's swimming and diving program.
Ryther at World Championships
Megan Ryther will swim the 10K at the first World Open Water Swimming Championships in Hawaii. Her race is November 2nd off the coast of Waikiki.
Tell Us What You Really Think
In a pre-season poll of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America, Indiana is ranked 25th nationally. This is the first top-25 ranking for Tierney in her three years at IU.
Olympic Quality
Seniors Jenn Cristy and Amanda Noblet, juniors Sara Reiling and Susan Woessner, sophomore Anne Williams and freshman Sarah Fiden competed in the Olympic trials in Indianapolis in August.
Reiling qualified for the Olympic Games in the platform dive and finished 13th in Sydney. Cristy finished 20th in the 50 freestyle, 26th the 100 freestyle, and 56th in the 200 freestyle at the trials. Woessner finished 20th in the 100 backstroke while Noblet placed 22nd in the 200 backstroke. Williams finished 97th in the 100 freestyle. Fiden placed 60th in the 200 freestyle and 71st in the 400 freestyle. Reiling will not be competing this semester, but will return to the team in January.
Career Bests
Seven times or scores accounted for top three performances among Indiana swimmers and divers October 21st against Evansville. Mamie Goodson collected her best 3-meter dive score at a dual meet with 312.45 points. Erin Rice swam the 1000 yard freestyle in 10:18.01 to beat her top time from last season. This was her second best collegiate time. Others performing for their second collegiate best were Colleen McCracken (100 back - 59.75), Jennifer Sonneborn (1M dive in a dual meet - 263.32), Susan Woessner (50 free - 24.45), Jenny Bechem (200 fly - 2:06.90) and Sarah Bowman (100 free - 53.61).
Where the Record Stands
Seventeen of the 20 Indiana swimming and diving records are held by current athletes. Only one of these records, Jenn Cristy's 100 breast, was not set in 2000.
Cristy also holds the school record in the 50, 100, and 200 free and is a member of the record setting 200, 400, and 800 free relay. Susan Woessner holds the 100 back record and is a member of the 400 free relay and the 200 and 400 medley record setting relays. Tina Gretlund anchored the fastest 400 and 800 free relays as well as swimming on the 400 medley relay. She also holds the 200 fly and 400 IM record. Megan Geers holds three records. She appeared on the 200 and 400 medley relays, and she holds her own record in the 200 breast. Anne Williams is a member of the record setting 200, 400, and 800 free relays. The 200 back is held by Amanda Noblet. Sarah Bowman and Meghan Rice contributed to the 200 free relay, Erin Rice swam for the 800 free relay, and Colleen McCracken is a member of the record setting 200 medley relay.
Back for More
Senior Erin Quinn returns to competition after tearing a ligament in her elbow during the 1999 NCAA's and redshirting last season. She hopes to come back to All-American status on all three diving levels. In her first meet, she placed second in both the one meter and three meter boards.
"I think Erin did a super job for just being back. I forgot how good a diver she is," said diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber.
Diving Like No One Else
"Our freshman Cassandra Cardinell did a real nice job," said head diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber of her performance against Evansville." She was throwing a lot of new optional dives. The inward 2 1/2 pike, there are only a couple women divers in the country doing that and she threw that."
The Rest of Diving
Mamie Goodson, in a career best effort, won the 3-meter dive against Evansville. Her sophomore campaign will show improvement due to summer work and experience. Jennifer Sonneborn is again a threat on the one meter as she won the event in the team's opening meet. Sonneborn returns for her sophomore season as IU's most improved diver.
Fiden Adds New Event as the Hoosiers Beat Illinois, 180.5-118.5
Freshman Sarah Fiden added the 1000 freestyle to her resume against Illinois last Saturday helping the Hoosiers defeat the Fighting Illini.
Fiden's first stab at the 1000 free concluded in a victory over Illinois' Jen Peters by .22 seconds. Fiden swam the event in 10:09.73.
"Actually, I was really nervous. This is my second college meet and I'm swimming an event I've never swum before. I've swum the mile several times, and it's kind of the same strategy, so I figured I could handle it pretty well," said Fiden.
Fiden doubled up in the distance events by also competing in the 500 free. She finished second in 5:02.17.
"She's never swum the 1000 free before. She hung in tough. That's the kind of racer that Sarah is. That double is very challenging, the 1000 and the 500. She'll continue to do it and hopefully she'll continue to get better at it," said Tierney.
The women's squad won 10 events to defeat the Illini 180.5-118.5. The 200 fly featured Jenny Bechem taking first in 2:06.80, Kristy Martin finishing second in 2:07.33, and Maggie Helmers holding on to third in 2:07.69. In the 500 free, Fiden, Erin Rice, and Meredith Stettner showed solid improvement from the Evansville meet. Jenn Cristy competed in and won four events. She anchored the winning 400 medley and claimed victory in the 50, 100, and 200 free.
"Illinois is always good conference competition for us. Each week we're going to face tougher and tougher competition. It's always nice to get that first win against conference competition," said Tierney.
The final event showcased an Indiana 400 free relay win with IU's exhibition team following in second. Tierney will continue to adjust the relay line-ups through out the season looking for the perfect niche.
"It will probably be different each week. They all want to be on that relay team. We're going to put the four fastest people that we've got up there, and that can change at anytime."
Diving added its own excitement with Jennifer Sonneborn winning both the one-meter (282.52) and three-meter (313.27) boards and the Hoosiers consistently posting the top scores on both. Erin Quinn collected 307.20 points diving exhibition on the three-meter and 269.02 on the one-meter for third place.
"They did very well. The last thing I said to them was 'Go out there and be tough and compete' and I think they did that. It was really a nice improvement," said diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber.
Holding off the Purple Aces
The Hoosiers had the upper hand against the Purple Aces as they fended off Evansville, 186-108, to start the season. Between varsity and exhibition entries, Indiana won every event. They recorded the fastest three times in 10 of the 14 individual events. The team's depth was validated as eleven individuals claimed victory. Jenn Cristy, Susan Woessner, and Maggie Helmers turned in double wins.
The sprinters added to the cause by taking the top three in each event. Top returnee Jenn Cristy won the 100 and 200 freestyle. Swimming exhibition, Maggie Helmers finished first in the 100 butterfly in 1:00.11 and the 200 IM in 2:12.02. Sarah Fiden posted the fastest 500 free time in 5:03.91.
Cream Rises to the Top
The Indiana women's swimming team competed in an intrasquad scrimmage October 13th. The afternoon featured four 200 yard medley teams as the squad was divided into Cream and Crimson teams. The Cream took victory with 108 points to the Crimson's 58.
Sarah Woessner won the 200 yard freestyle and the 200 back. She took the free in 1:55.98 and the back in 2:07.51.
Hoosiers Walk for Cancer Research
The Indiana men's and women's swimming and diving team participated in a walk to benefit cancer. The teams took a special interest in this year's walk because their former trainer, and IU 200 fly record-holder, Stephanie Jannsen (Porter) was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Head women's coach Dorsey Tierney said, "This is an important day for IU swimming. It is a great way to show support for something that affects so many women, but it is especially special today because of the battle Stephanie is undertaking."
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