Indiana University Athletics
IU Travels to No. 23 Minnesota
10/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Oct. 25, 2005
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The No. 16 Indiana swimming and diving team heads to Minneapolis, Minn., to battle the No. 23 Golden Gophers on Oct. 29 at 1 p.m.
STEPPING UP THE SCHEDULE
Indiana head coach Ray Looze stepped up the schedule this season as the Hoosiers will battle a number of top 25 teams. Overall, IU will compete against five teams (#2 Auburn, #6 UCLA (diving), #12 Wisconsin, #13 Penn State and #15 Michigan) ranked in the first CSCAA Dual Meet poll.
NCAA PROVISIONALS
The following swimmers have posted NCAA provisional times:
| Hoosier | Event | Time |
| Leila Vaziri | 100 back | 55.87 |
NCAA ZONE QUALIFIERS
Two divers have secured zone qualifying scores so far this season. Christina Loukas and Lindsay Weigle each punched their ticket to the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships March 10-12 in Columbus, Ohio.
NEWCOMER IMPACT
Freshmen Allison Kay and Sarah Stockwell made an immediate impact on IU's record books during the Auburn meet. Kay broke into the top 10 in a pair of categories (200 fly: Ninth, 2:02.49; 100 fly: 10th, 55.28), while Stockwell stands ninth in school history in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:05.35 clocking.
BIG TIME MERGER
Over the summer, the men's and women's swimming and diving programs merged under head coach Ray Looze. The change will allow IU to tailor training to specific distances and strokes, while also gaining an assistant diving coach (Todd Waikel).
NARROWING THE GAP
The Hoosiers should be closer to winning a Big Ten title this season, as they return just 30 points less than champion Penn State from the 2005 Big Ten Championships. The Nittany Lions return 328 points, while the Hoosiers bring back 298 points from last season.
"SMALL BUT MIGHTY" TO HUGE
Last year's team motto of "Small but Mighty" will change this season as the Hoosiers bring in 18 freshmen to nearly double in size. That brings the total number of Hoosiers to 38, a school record.
BAHAMAS HERE WE COME
Even though the Hoosiers will encounter intense training sessions during the holiday training trip, the surroundings of Nassau, Bahamas should assuage any discomfort during the Dec. 29-Jan. 5 excursion.
SUMMER FUN
IU brought a loaded contingent to the World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. The complete list of Hoosiers competing included Cassandra Cardinell, Marc Carlton, Susanna Ernst (Austria), Christina Loukas, Colin Russell (Canada) and Kevin Swander. Furthermore, Dr. Jeff Huber helped coach the U.S. divers at the games.
BEST FINISH EVER
Last year, IU finished in ninth place with 112 points at the 2005 NCAA Championships. That feat now stands as the best finish at the national meet in IU history, bettering the previous standard of a 10th-place tie in 2002.
HUBER OF THE YEAR
Dr. Jeff Huber's name is becoming synonymous with Coach of the Year honors as he not only swept the Big Ten annual accolades, he also garnered the National Coach of the Year award at the NCAA women's championships.
BIG TEN HONOREES
Christina Loukas was crowned Big Ten Diver of the Year and Diver of the Championships, while Dr. Jeff Huber, the lone unanimous award winner, claimed the Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year honor. Additionally, Loukas and Leila Vaziri earned first team recognition, while Kristen Bradley garnered second team honors.
LOUKAS - OLYMPIC MEDAL HOPEFUL
Christina Loukas has been named one of 20 divers in the Olympic Medal Program. The OMP, developed by the Committee for Olympic Success, is the fast track to the 2008 Olympics.
"I am pleased that United States Diving recognizes Christina's ability and potential," Indiana head diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber said. "She has everything it takes to become an Olympian and Olympic medalist. This is just another step in her progression to reach her dreams."
