Indiana University Athletics
No. 18 IU Climbs Up To Ninth at NCAAs
9/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
March 18, 2005
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 18 Indiana women's swimming and diving squad climbed up to ninth place with 81 points at the 2005 NCAA Championships in the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Ind., on March 18. Overall, the Hoosiers secured 11 All-American certificates for the program with a solid day of performances. Georgia extended its lead over three-time defending national champion Auburn, 422.5-329.
Most amazingly, IU leads the battle for Big Ten bragging rights as 2005 league champion Penn State sits in 11th with 70 points, while Wisconsin is 12th with 68 points and Michigan is 14th with 60 points.
Additionally, the Cream and Crimson is poised to break the program record of highest placement at NCAAs. The current standard was set in 2002 as that edition of the Hoosier family tied for 10th with 136 points. That point tally also stands as the most accumulated by IU in its national-meet history.
In the three-meter diving final, freshman Christina Loukas earned the best finish in the event for IU since Sara Reiling recorded a second-place effort in 2002. Overall, Loukas registered a fifth-place 542.70 tally. Southern California's Blythe Hartley claimed the event crown with a 586.15 total.
"This is a great competition," Indiana head diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber said. "Christina really hung tough. She is capable of diving greater in the future, but she did well today. It is tough coming in being the Big Ten Diver of the Year and she stepped up."
In the 100-yard backstroke, sophomore Leila Vaziri became the first swimming championship finalist since Susan Woessner finished second in the 100 back at the 2002 NCAA Championships. Vaziri touched in seventh with a blistering time of 54.20 to claim another All-American recognition. Arizona junior Marshi Smith won the event title in 52.82.
"I was not as nervous tonight," Vaziri said. "I made it to finals and eighth place was the worse I could do. I need more practice racing at this level. I had better technique and motion than this morning. I just wasn't going hard enough."
In the 200-yard medley relay, the IU contingent of Vaziri, senior Erin Smith, junior Kristen Bradley and sophomore Annica Lofstedt finished 14th with a time of 1:42.82. The effort locked down All-American laurels for each member of the quartet. By virtue of the performance, each and every Hoosier at the meet now has earned All-American recognition. Notably, Vaziri's 50-yard backstroke leadoff was the fastest of the heat.
Meanwhile, Georgia's team of senior Samantha Arsenault, junior Mary Descenza, junior Sarah Poewe and sophomore Kara Lynn Joyce posted a pool-record time of 1:37.81 to claim the event crown in the championship final.
In the 800-yard freestyle relay, junior Doherty Colgin, Vaziri, Bradley and Smith clocked the fifth-fastest time in school history with a blazing performance of 7:19.16. After swimming in the initial heat of the event, IU sat back and watched as its effort held up for 14th place to secure another six points for the Hoosiers.
"We had a fun meet tonight," Indiana head coach Dorsey Tierney said. "Both of our relays got in there and competed hard. The 800 free relay is survival of the fittest and we swam with a lot of heart. We put ourselves in position and keep getting better every session."
Notably, Georgia's quartet of Descenza, freshman Elizabeth Hill, Joyce and freshman Amanda Weir finished first in the 800 free relay with an NCAA, American and pool record time of 7:01.03.
Next up, the Cream and Crimson continue the 2005 NCAA Championships at 11 a.m., on Saturday, March 19 at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Ind., with preliminary heats.
2005 NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS at Boilermaker Aquatic Center (West Lafayette, Ind.)
Team Scores: 1 Georgia 422.5 2 Auburn 329 3 Arizona 290 4 Florida 256 5 Stanford 216 6 Texas 163 7 SMU 114 8 California 97 9 INDIANA 81 10 Southern California 79
IU Point Scorers: 26 Christina Loukas (three-meter, 5th; one-meter, 7th) 16 Lisa Silvestri (one-meter, 8th; three-meter, 12th) 12 Leila Vaziri (100 back, 7th) 9 Cassandra Cardinell (one-meter, 9th)
IU Relay Point Scorers: 6 200-yard freestyle relay (14th) Annica Lofstedt, Leila Vaziri, Erin Smith, Doherty Colgin 6 200-yard medley relay (14th) Leila Vaziri, Kristen Bradley, Erin Smith, Annica Lofstedt 6 800-yard freestyle relay (14th) Doherty Colgin, Leila Vaziri, Kristen Bradley, Erin Smith
IU All-Americans: Name 2005 Career Junior Kristen Bradley 2 3 Senior Cassandra Cardinell 1 5 Junior Doherty Colgin 2 4 Sophomore Annica Lofstedt 2 4 Freshman Christina Loukas 2 2 Junior Lisa Silvestri 2 2 Senior Erin Smith 3 12 Sophomore Leila Vaziri 4 9
