Indiana University Athletics
Quintet Heads to Montreal for World Championships
7/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
July 11, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Four student-athletes and one coach are heading to the 2005 World Championships in Montreal, from July 17-24. Indiana head diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber will help coach the USA Diving squad, which will include graduate senior Cassandra Cardinell and rising freshman Christina Loukas. Additionally, rising junior Sergiy Fesenko and rising sophomore Colin Russell will represent the Ukraine and Canada, respectively.
Here is a look at the careers of each Hoosier participating at the World Championships:
Dr. Jeff Huber
Widely regarded as the finest diving coach in the nation, Dr. Jeff Huber, 51, is beginning his 17th year as the men's and women's diving coach at Indiana University and his 30th year of collegiate coaching.
During his tenure, Indiana divers have flourished under the seven-time U.S. National Coach of the Year. In Huber, Indiana divers work daily with a mentor who served as a coach for the United States at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He has been recognized as the Big Ten Coach of the Year on 10 occasions (four for women's and six for men's), has coached student-athletes to 28 Big Ten titles and 12 Big Ten Divers of the Year in his 16-year tenure at IU.
Huber has a laundry list of accomplishments during his 29-year coaching career:
• Has coached in 18 international competitions. • U.S. Olympic Coach, Athens, Greece, 2004. • U.S. World Championships Co-Head Coach, Barcelona, Spain, 2003. • U.S. Olympic Coach, Sydney, Australia, 2000. • Olympic Coach, Dominican Republic, 1984. • Seven-time U.S. National Coach of the Year (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). • 2005 NCAA National Women's Diving Coach of the Year • 11-time U.S. National Combined Team Champions at Indiana. • Seven U.S. National Athlete Performance Award Recipients at Indiana. • 16-time conference coach of the year (six-time Big Eight and 10-time Big Ten) • Has coached 55 conference champions (27 Big Eight and 28 Big Ten). • Divers have earned 64 All-America honors (43 at Indiana and 21 at Nebraska) and three National Titles (all at Indiana). • Eight Indiana University Athletes of the Year. • Received Bill Orwig Award in 2002. • Received the Whosam Award in 1987.
Huber's pupils had a breakout campaign in 2005. At the NCAA Championships, Senior Cassandra Cardinell acquired several noteworthy addendums to her resume with a triumph on the tower at NCAAs. Cardinell not only became the first Hoosier to win a national championship since Kimiko Hirai claimed the one-meter crown in 1996. She also became the first non-one-meter champion as IU's only other national titles came with AIAW one-meter triumphs by Amy McGrath (1980) and Lona Foss (1982). For her efforts and the performance of freshman Christina Loukas and junior Lisa Silvestri, Huber picked up the NCAA National Coach of the Year honor.
At the Big Ten Championships, the men combined to score 233 of the 497 team points at Big Tens. The total bested the Big Ten diving mark of 183 points, established by IU in 2003. Additionally, the women combined to score 214 of the 497 team points at Big Tens. The total bested the Big Ten diving mark of 123 points, established by the Hoosiers in 2003.
Meanwhile, Loukas earned Big Ten Diver of the Year and Diver of the Championships, while Huber, the lone unanimous award winner, claimed the Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year honor. Additionally, Cardinell garnered first team recognition. On the men's side, Huber picked up his second Diving Coach of the Year honor in two weeks, while senior Marc Carlton captured Diver of the Year, Diver of the Championships and First Team All-Big Ten accolades. Sophomore Brian Mariano also seized second team All-Big Ten.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Huber was an assistant coach for the U.S. Diving Team. Three former and current Hoosier divers represented the U.S. at the Games. Former Hoosier All-American Sara Hildebrand and current Cardinell, both of which trained with Huber, were among the members of the U.S. Olympic Diving team. Hildebrand and Cardinell competed in the synchro 10-meter platform event and finished seventh overall.
Hildebrand also competed in the 10-meter platform competition at the 2004 Olympics. After narrowly missing the finals in 2000 with a 13th-place finish, Hildebrand qualified for the finals with an 11th-place finish in the semifinals. She hit her two best dives in the final two rounds of the semifinals to advance. She finished 10th overall in the event.
The Hildebrand-Cardinell duo won the 10-meter synchro event at the U.S. Olympic Trials to earn their spot in Athens. Huber led a contingent of nine to the U.S. Olympic Trials with Carlton, Mariano, Ryan Fagan, Brian Metzler, Sara Hildebrand, Cardinell, Lindsay Weigle, Jade Summerlin and Heather Chapman competing.
Huber and his divers captured a clean sweep of the Big Ten Conference diving awards in 2003. Sara Hildebrand was named the Big Ten Women's Diver of the Year and the Diver of the Championship. Carlton also earned Big Ten Diver of the Year honors and the Co-Diver of the Championship award. Huber was named the Big Ten Women's Diving Coach of the Year and Big Ten Men's Diving Coach of the Year.
At the national level, Huber's U.S. Diving resume is extensive. He has coached the Indiana diving program to 11 (four indoor, seven outdoor) U.S. Diving Combined Team National Championships, with the 11th earned this past August. In 2003, Huber was also inducted into the State of Indiana Swimming and Diving Wall of Fame.
Internationally, in the summer of 2000, Huber earned the honor of serving as a coach for the United States Olympic Team. Joining him in Sydney was Sara Reiling Hildebrand, who completed her eligibility at Indiana in 2003. This marked the second time that the Indiana head coach appeared on the World's biggest stage as he also coached for the Dominican Republic at the 1984 Olympic Games. Huber added to his already impressive international experience during the summer of 2003. Huber served as the head coach of the U.S. National Team. He was the co-head coach for the United States at the Pan-American games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and at the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain.
Among his other international experience includes coaching at the 1998 Goodwill Games, the 1991 World University Games, and numerous Grand Prix international meets. He was also the head coach for U.S. National Teams, which competed in Italy, Austria, and Mexico, and served as the head coach for the U.S.A. in a dual meet with China. He has twice been named a U.S. Olympic Festival coach.
Huber's success at Indiana has been remarkable. During his 16 years, Indiana divers have achieved All-America status 43 times. That list of divers includes Cardinell, the 2005 NCAA platform champion, Kimiko Hirai-Soldati, the 1996 NCAA one-meter diving champion and Mark Lenzi, the 1989 and 1990 one-meter NCAA champion and 1992 Olympic gold medalist.
Prior to his arrival at Indiana, Huber placed his name squarely on the coaching map with the success his teams achieved at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Huber coached both the Cornhuskers' men and women for 11 years. During that time, Nebraska divers won 27 Big Eight Conference championship titles, 20 NCAA All-American awards, and two Academic All-American accolades, while setting nine conference records. Huber coached 10 U.S. national finalists and directed his team to a third place team award at the 1988 U.S. Indoor National Championships. He was recognized as the Big Eight Coach of the Year in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1989.
In 1987, while at Nebraska, Huber was the coaches' recipient of the Whosam Award. In honor of former Olympic gold medalist Dr. Sammy Lee, the award is given annually to a person who has demonstrated the high values and ideals and a commitment to the sport of diving.
Complacency is a word that doesn't find its way into Huber's vernacular as current and former Huber divers turned in championship efforts at virtually every major event. At the 2003 Big Ten Championships, Hildebrand won the one-meter, three-meter and 10-meter platform events. Her performance helped IU to its first Big Ten title since 1981.
Weigle and Fagan advanced to the 2004 NCAA Championships. Weigle earned All-America honors in the 10-meter platform competition, while Fagan was an honorable mention All-America selection.
For the second straight year at the Speedo National Championships, Hildebrand and Cardinell finished first and second for the women's all-around award. The duo won the three-meter synchro and 10-meter platform synchro at the Championships.
In 2003, Huber sent four divers, Hildebrand, Cardinell, Lori Matthys and Carlton to the NCAA Championships. All four earned All-America honors. At the 2002 women's and men's NCAA Championships, Hildebrand, Cardinell, Erin Quinn and Carlton all earned All -America honors.
Individually at the 2003 Speedo National Diving Championship, several current and former Hoosiers produced successful performances. Hildebrand and Cardinell finished first and second, respectively, for the women's all-around award. IU also captured three event titles. Cardinell and Hildebrand were champions in both the synchro three-meter and synchro platform events. Hildebrand also added a title on the three-meter.
For the men, Carlton and Mariano placed second in the synchro three-meter event. The duo also finished sixth in the synchro platform. Carlton came in eighth on the platform and 10th on the three-meter.
The Hoosier men and women captured the combined team national championship at Speedo U.S. Nationals. IU won the women's category and the Hoosier men took third.
There has hardly been enough room on the podium for Huber and his divers at the Big Ten Championships. In 1999, Mike Collier was the one-meter Big Ten champion and was also named Big Ten Diver of the Year for the third time. He completed the season with All-American honors in all three events and was also the World University Games U.S. team captain. That same year, the men's and women's diving teams each placed second and combined to win their fourth straight national championship at the indoor and outdoor U.S. Nationals.
The 1998 Big Ten Championships featured Collier's victory on the 10-meter platform and Tom Davidson's win on one-meter springboard. Collier was named Diver of the Year and Davidson was recognized as the Diver of the Championships. In 1998 and 1999, Huber won his second and third Big Ten Coach of the Year honors, respectively.
At the 1997 Big Ten Championships, IU accomplished a quadruple-double as Huber was named both the women's and men's Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year, Jenny Dixon won the one-meter and three-meter springboard events, Collier captured the one-meter championship, and Davidson secured the three-meter title. Dixon and Collier were both named Divers of the Year while Davidson was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Huber remains very active in the diving community. He has served on the Board of Directors of U.S. Diving, Inc. and was Rules Chairman for the organization. He is a member of the NCAA Rules Committee, and former Chairman for the United States Diving Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Big Ten Diving Coaches Committee.
He also has authored numerous articles for several publications, including The Diver, National Strength and Conditioning Journal, RIP Magazine, U.S. Diving Coach Development Manual and The Sport Psychologist, an international research journal.
A native of Buena Park, Calif., Huber was a California state high school diving champion, a four-time letterman at the University of Wisconsin, and was a finalist at both the Big Ten and U.S. National Championships. He also qualified for and competed at the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials. He received a bachelor's degree in English and Education in 1975 from the University of Wisconsin and went on to earn an master's in English in 1978 at California State University-Fullerton, while working as head diving coach at Cypress College. Huber completed a master's in education in curriculum and instruction and a Ph.D. in educational psychology in 1985 and 1989, respectively, both from the University of Nebraska.
He and his wife, Dr. Lesa Huber, who is an assistant professor and research associate for the Center on Aging and Aged at Indiana University, are the proud parents of Julia (18) and David (15). His daughter, Julia, is currently at IU.
 Cardinell joins Loukas as members of USA Diving in Montreal.  |
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Senior Year (2004-05)
Sat out the fall semester due to foot surgery ... earned IU's first NCAA title with a win on the platform ... shattered the Big Ten and pool records on the tower with a 558.65 tally ... went on to win the Big Ten platform championship ... earned a pair of All-America certificates ... named IU's Female Athlete of the Year ... earned first team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America accolades ... made an immediate impact in her first competition as a scoring diver by winning the one-meter against Ohio State with a zone-qualifying mark of 283.12 ... posted three more zone cuts with a first-place 291.90 in the one-meter against Purdue, a 308.70 for first on the one-meter against Penn State and a 327.08 for second on the three-meter against the Nittany Lions ... participated in the USA Diving International Team Selection Camp in Indianapolis ... hard work in Indianapolis paid off as she earned spots at both the China Open and USA/FINA Grand Prix teams at the camp.
Redshirt Year (2003-04)
Redshirted to train for the Olympic Games ... was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in the synchro 10-meter platform event with Sara Hildebrand ... the duo made the team by winning the event at the U.S. Olympic Trials ... in Athens, the pair was seventh in the event ... at the U.S. Olympic Trials, advanced to the finals of both the 10-meter platform (8th) and three-meter springboard (7th) events ... teamed with Hildebrand to win the synchro three-meter and platform competitions at the U.S. Nationals ... was also the National runner-up on the one-meter at the event ... placed fourth on the platform at the U.S. Nationals ... for the second straight year was runner-up to Hildebrand for the All-Around Award.
Junior Year (2002-03)
Academic All-Big Ten and CSCAA Academic All-American ... earned All-America honors on the 10-meter platform with a fifth place finish ... also earned honorable mention All-America honors for her 10th place performance on the one-meter ... was runner-up to teammate Sara Hildebrand on the one-meter at the 2003 Big Ten Championships ... also at the Big Ten Championships, she finished fifth on the three-meter and third on the platform.
Sophomore Year (2001-02)
At the 2002 U.S. Outdoor Nationals, finished fifth on 10-Meter and coupled with Sara Hildebrand to win synchronized platform...earned All-America honors at 2002 NCAA Championships, finishing fourth on platform and 16th on one-meter ... placed 16th on the one-meter at the Big Ten Championships ... also placed seventh on the three-meter at Big Ten's ... was an CSCAA Academic All-American.
Freshman Year (2000-01)
At 2001 Big Tens, placed fifth on one-meter, 12th on three-meter, and ninth on platform ... at NCAA zone diving championships, recorded a sixth-place finish on one-meter, fifth on platform, and 13th on three-meter ... at US Indoor Nationals, finished 12th on one-meter and third on synchronized three-meter ... finished third in synchronized platform and eighth on platform at Outdoor Nationals.
Prep/Personal
A New York State champion, she earned All-America honors ... finished her career as the state record holder for 6- and 11-dives ... dove for Maria Coomaraswamy with Club Flip & Rip ... high school coach was Ned Monthie ... a Telecommunications major, Cardinell was born April 12, 1982.
 Fesenko will represent Ukraine in Montreal. |
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Junior Year (2004-05)
Dominant distance specialist ... broke a trio of yard school records (500 free, 1000 free, 1650 free) ... earned individual All-America honors in the 500 and 1650 free and relay kudos in the 800 free relay ... picked up a pair of national titles at the Ukrainian National Championship in the 200m and 800m free events ... won the 400m free at the Barcelona, Spain, stop of the Mare Nostrum ... broke the school record in the 1500m free at the Canet, France, stop of the Mare Nostrum ... swam a 1:37.91 in the 200-yard freestyle against Purdue ... in the 500-yard freestyle, recorded a 4:22.16 against Michigan ... in the 1,650-yard freestyle, registered a 15:17.63 against the Wolverines ... won 15 event titles ... swept personal events against both Northwestern and Tennessee.
Prep/Personal
Competed in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia for the Ukraine ... top long course times are 1:50.12 in the 200-meter freestyle, 3:51.89 in the 400-meter freestyle and 8:02.64 in the 800-meter freestyle, 15:.30 in the 1500-meter freestyle and 1:58.91 in the 200-meter butterfly ... father, Sergey, was a gold medalist in the 200-meter butterfly at the 1980 Olympic Games ... born May 6, 1982 to Sergey and Irina.
Christina Loukas
Freshman Year (2004-05)
Completed IU's fifth All-America diving trifecta in school history with a trio of certificates (previous triple-crown winners include Sara Reiling-Hildebrand (2003, 2002, 2000) and Kristen Kane (1992) ... named Big Ten Diver of the Year and Championships ... won the one-meter Big Ten title ... broke Reiling-Hildebrand's school dual-meet record in the three-meter against Penn State ... also posted a school standard in the one-meter ... posted a first-place mark of 354.00 in the event ... cleared the zone-qualifying standard in multiple events 12 times in 19 tries ... captured a title sweep against Illinois ... highest zone-qualifying marks (one-meter: 315.45; three-meter dual: 354.00; three-meter championship: 495.20.) ... participated in the USA Diving International Team Selection Camp in Indianapolis.
 Loukas joins Cardinell as a member of USA Diving in Montreal. |
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Prep/Personal
Won the Illinois High School State Diving Championship three straight years (2001-03) ... holds the Illinois high school state record on the one-meter ... named to the NISCA All-American diving team in 2002, 2003 and 2004 ... was also the 2000 Illinois State runner up in diving ... was a finalist, placing eighth on the three-meter, at the 2004 U.S. Senior National Championships ... at the 2004 Speedo National Junior Championships, finished second on both the one-meter and three-meter ... won the one-meter and the three-meter at the 2004 Junior Summer West Championships ... was a member of the East-West Junior Olympic All-Star Team in 2003 and the one-meter champion at the event ... qualified for Junior Olympic Nationals in the one-meter and three-meter four-straight years (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) ... Junior Olympic National Finalist on the one-meter and three-meter in 2001 ... qualified for the Junior Olympic West Nationals in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 ... six-time Junior Olympic Zones Qualifier (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003) ... was the Region 5 champion on the one-meter in 2003 both in the winter and summer ... in 2003, was a World Trials three-meter finalist, the Junior Olympic West National Runner up on the one-meter, Junior Olympic West National finalist on the three-meter and Junior Olympic National three-meter synchro champion with teammate Samantha Papadakis ... also considered Texas, Auburn, UCLA and Notre Dame ... dove club at Windy City Diving, coached by Susan Bromberg ... daughter of George and Patty Loukas ... born Dec. 19, 1985.
Colin Russell
Sophomore Year (2004-05)
Picked up All-America honors in four relays ... named second team All-Big Ten ... set the 100 free school record with a 43.51 clocking ... member of a pair of relay school standards in the 400 and 800 free ... won the 400m free title at the Canadian World Championship Trials with a school-record time ... finished with a B-cut as the leadoff of IU's second-place 400-yard freestyle relay effort at the IU Invite ... took second at the Invite with a 1:37.68 and was a member of the 200-yard medley B-cut team against Michigan ... won 16 event titles ... earned four titles during the Michigan/Michigan State swing.
 Russell will represent Canada in Montreal. |
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Freshman Year (2003-04)
Earned honorable mention All-America honors in two individual events and as part of a relay ... placed 11th overall in the 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle events at the NCAA Championships ... also swam the leadoff leg of the 400-meter freestyle relay that placed 15th ... was the Hoosiers' co-MVP with Kevin Swander ... earned second team All-Big Ten honors ... placed third in the the 200-yard freestyle, fifth in the 500-yard freestyle and ninth in the 100-yard freestyle at the Big Ten Championships ... swam the anchor leg of the 200-yard freestyle relay that placed second at the Big Ten Championships ... was also a member of the fifth-place 400-yard freestyle relay, sixth-placed 800-yard freestyle relay and third-place 400-yard medley relay at the Championships ... at the Canadian Olympic Trials, placed sixth in the 200-meter freestyle and ninth in the 100-meter freestyle ... at the Trials, was tied for first in the 200 freestyle after the prelims ... won the 100 and 200 freestyle events at the 2004 Canadian Summer National.
Prep/Personal
Swam for coach Dean Henze as a member of the Barrie Trojan Swim Club ... won three bronze medals at the 2003 Pan American Games ... swam legs on the 4x200-meter freestyle, 4x100-meter freestyle and 4x100-meter medley relays that all placed third at the Pan Am Games ... placed fifth in the 200-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle at the Pan American Games as well ... a member of the Canadian National Team at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival ... won four silver and two bronze medals (includes three relays) at the Festival ... also earned silver and bronze medals at the Canadian Nationals ... was the high-point winner at the Junior Eastern Canadian Championships ... the son of Erin and Cecil Russell.
