Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers to Host IU Open Invitational This Weekend
11/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Nov. 16, 2006
IU Open Invitational Notes in PDF Format (11-16-06)
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MEET DETAILS
Date: Nov. 17-19, 2006 (prelims 9 a.m., finals 6 p.m.)
Meet: IU Open Invitational
Location: Bloomington, Ind.
Facility: Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center
HOOSIER NOTES
Indiana's women's swimming and diving team will host its 11th annual IU Open Invitational at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center on Nov. 17-19. The Hoosiers welcome Florida International, Louisville and Purdue for both swimming and diving, Cincinnati, Rice and Washington State for swimming, Kentucky, Stanford, Pittsburgh and Miami (Ohio) for diving, and several club teams and unattached performers to town for the three-day, unscored meet.
INDIANA IN THE CSCAA POLL
The Hoosiers are ranked 14th in the latest Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Top 25 Poll, up from 17th in the first poll. Indiana (4-0) is off to a hot start, having beaten a pair of ranked teams in No. 23 Kentucky and No. 11 Texas. IU also topped Northwestern, which was unranked at the time, but moved into the lastest poll at No. 22. Fellow Big Ten members Michigan (10), Penn State (16), Minnesota (17) and Wisconsin (19) join the Hoosiers in the poll.
LAST TIME OUT
Indiana won eight of 13 events to knock off No. 11 Texas on the road on Nov. 4, 138-105. IU turned in seven NCAA provisional times on the day, with Leila Vaziri earning "B" cuts in the 100- and 200-yard freestyles, Allison Kay doing so in the 400-yard individual medley, Presley Bard taking the honor in the 200-yard backstroke, and Sarah Stockwell and Amilee Smith both doing so in the 200-yard breaststroke. In addition, Vaziri, Stockwell, Bard and Annica Lofstedt combined to turn in a "B" cut in the 200-yard medley relay. Junior Christina Loukas remained undefeated on the season with two more wins on the springboards.
TWO-TIME WINNER
Junior Christina Loukas has been named the Big Ten Diver of the Week twice already this season, taking the honor on Oct. 24 and again on Oct. 31. The Riverwoods, Ill., native earned the award the first time following a week in which she swept both springboards and set a new school record in helping the Hoosiers top Kentucky. She then picked up another four wins against Northwestern and Arizona State on Oct. 27 and 28, respectively, taking both springboards both days. Loukas has yet to lose an event this season, standing a perfect 8-0 entering the IU Open Invitational.
TWO-TIME WINNER PART II
Senior Leila Vaziri has twice been named the Big Ten Swimmer of the Week this season. She took the award for the first time on Oct. 31 after posting a total of five NCAA "B" cuts in helping the Hoosiers to wins over Northwestern and Arizona State on Oct. 27 and 28, respectively. Vaziri made it two weeks in a row on Nov. 7, sharing the award with Purdue's Carlene Takaki after helping IU topple No. 11 Texas with a pair of wins and three more "B" cuts.
EARLY START
The Hoosiers started their assault on the record book early this season, as diver Christina Loukas broke the school record in the three-meter springboard with a 373.95 effort in Indiana's first meet of the season. Loukas' mark was 2.55 points better than her previous school record in three-meter, and 16.20 points higher than Lindsay Weigle's previous three-meter dual-meet mark. In addition, freshmen Presley Bard, Brittany Barwegen, Emma Berry, Ashley Jones, Cassie Luhrsen, Emily Porteous and Amilee Smith all entered Indiana's all-time top 20 lists in various events.
DIAPER DANDIES
Several freshmen made immediate impacts in their first career meet on Oct. 21. Emma Berry won a pair of events in the win over Kentucky, taking the 500 free and the 1,000 free, while Presley Bard won the 100 back and 200 back and swam a leg on the victorious 400-yard freestyle relay. Amilee Smith won the 200 breast, while Emily Lanteigne joined Bard on the 400 free relay unit. In all, seven rookie Hoosiers posted top 20 marks in school history in their inaugural meet.
BIG GUNS
Indiana returns all seven of its All-Americans from a successful 2006 campaign. Swimmers Annica Lofstedt, Clarissa Wentworth, Leila Vaziri and Allison Kay, as well as divers Christina Loukas, Lindsay Weigle and Heather Chapman all earned All-America distinction. Loukas narrowly missed a national championship, coming in second in the three-meter by less than two points. Loukas also finished fifth on the one-meter and sixth on the platform to earn three first-team certificates. Weigle earned first-team status on the platform with her third-place finish, and was honorable mention on both the one- and three-meter. Chapman earned honorable mention on the platform, while Lofstedt, Wentworth, Vaziri and Kay earned honorable mention in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
NCAA SUCCESS
Indiana's 14th-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships marked its sixth straight top-20 finish. The Hoosiers' best-ever finish was a ninth-place NCAA showing in 2005.
HOOSIERS IN THE FINAL RANKINGS
Indiana finished the 2006 season ranked No. 16 in the CSCAA Top 25 Poll. Big Ten teams Wisconsin (12), Penn State (14), Purdue (17), Michigan (22) and Minnesota (23) also appeared in the poll. The Big Ten led all conferences with six teams in the final poll.
THE CHAMP IS HERE
Indiana senior Leila Vaziri won the national title in the 100-meter backstroke on Aug. 2 at the ConocoPhillips National Championships in Irvine, Calif. Vaziri posted a time of 1:01.69 for the win, which also qualified her for the Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, B.C., later in August.
FROM CANADA TO AUSTRALIA
Vaziri turned in a very solid showing at the Pan Pacs to earn a spot in the FINA World Championships in Australia in March, 2007. Vaziri was the third American finisher in the prelims of the 100-meter back, which put her in the consolation finals and on the outside looking in for the World Championship team. But she blazed to a 1:01.53 to win her consolation final and post the second-best American time of the year - securing her berth in the World Championships.
BIG TEN HARDWARE
Loukas was named the 2006 Big Ten Co-Diver of the Year and Co-Diver of the Championships, marking the second season in a row in which she had won both awards. Loukas won the one-meter and was second on the platform at the 2006 Big Ten Championships.
ROSTER EXPANSION
The Hoosiers welcome 18 newcomers to the women's roster this season, 19 of which are freshmen. Only University of Washington transfer Brittany Epperson is not. Epperson, a senior, will redshirt the 2006-07 season.
THE SCHEDULE
Next up on the schedule for the Hoosiers is the U.S. Open from Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in West Lafayette, Ind. After that, Indiana is idle until its annual training trip, which will take place in Tampa, Fla., from Dec. 16-23. The World Championship Selection Camp will be held in Indianapolis from Dec. 17-21. IU resumes collegiate competition with a meet against Illinois, Michigan and Notre Dame in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Jan. 12-13, 2007.
