Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Sweep Big Ten Weekly Swimming and Diving Awards
10/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Oct. 31, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana's Leila Vaziri and Christina Loukas were named the Big Ten Swimmer of the Week and Diver of the Week, respectively, the league office announced Oct. 31.
Vaziri and Loukas were instrumental in leading the Hoosiers to a pair of wins on the week. Indiana topped Big Ten rival Northwestern on Oct. 27, 174-120, and topped Arizona State on Oct. 28, 155-134.
Vaziri finished either first or second in all eight events she entered in Indiana's wins over Northwestern and Arizona State on the week. The Coral Springs, Fla., senior posted five NCAA "B" cuts, doing so in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly against the Wildcats, and in the 100-yard backstroke and 100 free against the Sun Devils. Vaziri's 54.74 in the 100 back against ASU was nearly an "A" cut, all the more impressive given that she had not competed in the event this season prior to Saturday. She finished second in the 100 free on Friday to Northwestern's Andrea Hupman, who was an honorable mention All-American in the event last season.
The award is the third of Vaziri's career, and first this season.
"Leila had a wonderful couple of meets against Northwestern and Arizona State," Indiana head coach Ray Looze said. "She's really setting herself up to be one of the national title contenders in the 100 backstroke, and also a very strong candidate in the freestyles, as well."
Loukas swept the springboards in both meets last week, taking both the one-meter and the three-meter against Northwestern and Arizona State. Against the Wildcats on Oct. 27, the Riverwoods, Ill., junior took the one-meter with a score of 293.32 and the three-meter with a 319.80 mark. Against the Sun Devils on Oct. 28, Loukas posted a score of 321.60 to win the one-meter, then turned in a 360.90 effort in the three-meter, good for the event win and the third-best score in IU history.
The award is the fifth of Loukas' career, and second in a row this season.
"It was well deserved," head diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber said. "They're working hard, and hard work always pays off. I was pleased, and we looked good for this time of year, better than we did last year, but we've got a lot of work ahead of us. It's nice to get a little pat on the back, but we want to be the best, so it's going to take a lot more effort."
Indiana returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 4, when it will face No. 11 Texas in Austin, Texas.
