Indiana University Athletics
Women's Swimming Heads Into New Year Confident
12/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
December 15, 2000
Women Head Into New Year With Confidence
The Indiana women's swimming and diving team opened the 2000-2001 season with the return of five swimmers from Olympic Trials and 10 swimmers that contributed to the breaking of 13 swimming records in 1999-2000. The women compiled a 4-0 (2-0) record and a first place finish at the Indiana Invite before taking their first road trip this season.
All-American Jenn Cristy has again dominated the team, collecting 10 individual and eight relay victories. She has won every 100-yard free swum at home. Her six victories at the Indiana Invite earned her co-Big Ten swimmer of the week honors. Her 100-yard free dropped from a season opening 51.5 to a 50.88. Cristy set the school record of 49.5 last season. The butterfly has spotlighted Tina Gretlund, in winning every fly event she has competed in, totaling four 200-yard and one 100-yard wins. She owns two of Indiana’s individual five wins at the Indiana Invite. Gretlund also contributed to three 400-yard medley relay wins.
Freshman Sarah Fiden swam her way to the lead finishers this fall, proving herself as Indiana's top distance swimmer. In a dual meet against Illinois, Fiden claimed victory in the 1,000-yard free, and event she had never swum before. In her four 500-yard races, she took home three wins and a second place finish. At the Indiana Invite, she took third in the mile, an event she had not swam since April. At the Miami Invitational, Fiden won the mile. True team success, however, continues to reign in the relays. Coach Dorsey Tierney is determined to give everyone a shot at the relays, and by season's end be able to compile the fastest team for the Big Ten Championship.
The Hoosiers opened intercollegiate competition against the Purple Aces of Evansville October 21. They defeated the in-state rivals 186-108 winning every event. All-American diver Erin Quinn returned after a medical red-shirt year to finish second on the 1-meter and 3-meter boards. Big Ten opponent Illinois traveled to Bloomington the following week. Indiana handled them 180.5-118.5 to reaffirm their one place defeat over the Illini at last season's Big Ten Championships.
|A weekend of Wildcats brought Indiana two more victories as they defeated Kentucky 149-94 on November 3 and prevailed over Northwestern 180.5-118.5 November 4. Coached by Jim Tierney, brother of Indiana coach Dorsey Tierney, Northwestern took third in last season’s Big Ten Championships. The November win gave the Hoosiers its second conference victory and its first against Northwestern with Indiana’s Tierney as coach.
The Indiana Invite was the first chance for the Hoosiers to compete in a championship setting. Over three days, Indiana won five individual events and all five relays to propel the team to a first place finish, beating second place Notre Dame by 388 points. The final meet of the calendar year was a road trip to Oxford, Ohio, for the Miami Invitational. Without any divers making the trip, Indiana finished fourth in a 12 team field.
The next road trip the Hoosiers will embark on is a week long stay in Florida for winter training. The group leaves December 30 and will use the time to maintain their conditioning and focus on the upcoming year. On January 6, the team returns to Bloomington and head right back to the pool for a dual meet against Cincinnati. They then take three conference road trips before coming home to the Big Ten Championships. Over last year’s winter break trip, Susan Woessner decided she wanted to try the backstroke. She’s still trying, and is in a position to turn a few heads at Big Tens. With a solid year of back training, Woessner continues to lead all Indiana backstrokers, and will most likely swim the back leg of the medley relays. In the sprints, Cristy and Anne Williams pack a one-two punch. The pair tend to feed off of each other to combine for the top spots.
Megan Geers is this season’s predominant breaststroker. She swam in the championship heat of both the Indiana Invite and the Miami Invitational, and claimed victory in the latter. Joining Geers is Sarah Bowman, who will split her talents between breast and free events. Gretlund will lead the fly and take on the IM as well. In the end, the right combination of relay teams will determine how successful Indiana can be at the NCAA Championships.
With the return of Olympian Sara Reiling, diving will become an even more influential event. Reiling looks to repeat as Big Ten platform champion and make a run for the springboard titles. Jennifer Sonneborn assumed the role as Indiana’s lead diver this semester and will look to maintain that prominence. She grabbed both boards against Northwestern and was the top Hoosier at the Indiana Invite. With the unprecedented start and quantity and quality of returnees, Indiana looks to improved success at both the Big Ten and NCAA level this spring.
