Indiana University Athletics
IU Women's Swimming Heads to U.S. Open
11/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Nov. 30, 2006
U.S. Open Notes in PDF Format (11-30-06)
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MEET DETAILS
Date: Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2006
Meet: U.S. Open
Location: West Lafayette, Ind.
Facility: Boilermaker Aquatic Center
HOOSIER NOTES
Select Indiana swimmers will participate in the U.S. Open this week, which will take place at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Ind., from Nov. 30-Dec. 2.
INDIANA IN THE CSCAA POLL
The Hoosiers are ranked 12th in the latest Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Top 25 Poll, up from 17th in the preseason poll and 14th in the Nov. 2 poll. Indiana (4-0) is off to a hot start, having beaten No. 23 Kentucky and No. 11 Texas. The Hoosiers also topped Arizona State, which was unranked at the time, but has since moved into the poll.
LAST TIME OUT
Indiana hosted the IU Open Invitational from Nov. 17-19, with Hoosiers emerging victorious in the championship finals of eight events. Leila Vaziri won the 50-yard freestyle, Christina Loukas won the one-meter, Allison Kay took the 400-yard individual medley, Sarah Stockwell took the 100-yard breaststroke, Presley Bard won the 100-yard backstroke, Lindsay Weigle won the three-meter and Ashley Jones captured the 200-yard backstroke. In addition, Bard, Stockwell, Vaziri and Clarissa Wentworth combined to win the 400-yard medley relay. Stockwell erased her own school record in the 100 breast, turning in a time of 1:03.02.
THREE IS A MAGIC NUMBER
Junior Christina Loukas has been named the Big Ten Diver of the Week a league-best three times already this season. Loukas has taken the honor on Oct. 24, Oct. 31 and Nov. 21. 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. For her third award, she swept all three rounds of the one-meter at the IU Open Invitational, placed second on the platform behind the 2006 NCAA champion, and finished fourth on the three-meter behind a trio of All-Americans.
TWO-TIME WINNER
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. Sophomore Sarah Stockwell duplicated that feat, besting her own school record in the 100-yard breaststroke on Nov. 18 with a time of 1:03.02. In addition, freshmen Presley Bard, Brittany Barwegen, Emma Berry, Brittney Feldman, Ashley Jones, Cassie Luhrsen, Emily Porteous and Amilee Smith have 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.
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.
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.
UP NEXT
Indiana is idle until its annual training trip, which will take place in Tampa, Fla., from Dec. 16-23. The World Championship Selection Camp (diving) 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.
