Indiana University Athletics
IU Athletics March in Review
4/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
April 3, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The month of March offered many stellar moments for IU Athletics. To pay tribute to the outstanding efforts given by the Hoosiers, IUHOOSIERS.com hits rewind to highlight what IU had to offer this past month.
Baseball
• As the offense picked up, Indiana baseball head coach Tracy Smith has been able to install his brand of baseball. In its last 12 games of the month, Indiana stole 53 of its 56 overall bags, including a stretch of 29 straight steals without getting caught. IU safely swiped 43 of its last 45 bags.
• Four Hoosier speedsters accounted for 44 of the team's 56 stolen bases. Center fielder Reggie Watson (16-for-19), left fielder Jay Brant (10-for-12), right fielder Andrew Means (9-for-9) and second baseman Keith Haas (9-for-10) were a combined 44-of-50 (88 percent) in games through March. Remarkably, the foursome recorded 36 steals in 38 attempts over the final 11 contests in March, good for a 95-percent success rate. In addition to Means' perfect mark, Watson swiped 11 straight bags and Brant eight without getting caught.
• Overall, the Hoosiers led the Big Ten in stolen bases with Watson and Brant occupying the top-two spots in the league, while Means and Haas share third.
Men's Basketball
• Kelvin Sampson, a two-time national coach of the year who led Oklahoma to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances (three Sweet 16, two Elite Eight and one Final Four finish), 10 20-plus win seasons, three Big 12 Tournament titles and a share of the 2004-05 regular season league crown in his 12-year Sooner tenure, has been named the 26th head basketball coach in Indiana University history, IU President Dr. Adam Herbert and IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan announced on March 29. Sampson replaces Mike Davis, who stepped down at the end of the 2005-06 season after leading the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament.
• The Hoosiers closed out the Big Ten regular season with their first two road victories in the conference slate. IU disposed of Purdue, 70-59, on March 1, before knocking off Michigan, 69-67, on March 4. In doing so, the Hoosiers finished tied for fourth in the conference with a 9-7 mark.
• The Hoosiers defeated Wisconsin, 61-56, in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. IU shot a sizzling 64.3 percent from the floor in the second half to overcome their third straight half-time deficit. After trailing at the break in contests against Purdue and Michigan, IU came back for victories in three straight games after trailing at the half for the first time since 1997. In the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, the Hoosiers fell 52-51 when a pair of shots fell short. Senior forward Marco Killingsworth became the first IU player to notch back-to-back double-doubles in the Big Ten Tournament and set the IU rebounding record for a Big Ten Tournament.
• The Hoosiers earned the sixth seed in the NCAA Tournament in the Oakland Region. The Hoosiers opened the tournament with an 87-83 win over 11th-seed San Diego State in come-from-behind fashion. Indiana trailed by 10 points in the second half, but rallied and thanks to a sophomore guard/forward Robert Vaden three-pointer with 3.3 seconds left, claimed the victory over the Aztecs. Vaden, senior forward Marco Killingsworth and junior guard Earl Calloway each finished with 18 points on the night, while Calloway became the first Hoosier since 1999 to record more than five steals in a contest with six against SDSU. The Hoosiers went on to fall to Gonzaga in the second round.
• Senior forward Marco Killingsworth and sophomore guard/forward Robert Vaden garnered All-Big Ten honors, as announced by the conference on March 7. Killingsworth earned second team all-conference accolades from the Big Ten media and a third team choice by the league's coaches. Vaden received honorable mention honors by both the Big Ten coaches and media. Additionally, senior guard Marshall Strickland received the Sportsmanship Award for the Hoosiers.
Men's Golf
• The Indiana men's golf team participated in two tournaments in March, capturing third out of 17 teams at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate (March 19-21) and claiming eighth out of 15 teams at the Orange County National Invitational (March 4-5).
• At the Orange County National, freshman Jorge Campillo claimed his second straight top-10 finish (tie for sixth) to earn his second straight Big Ten Golfer of the Week award. The Caceres, Spain native closed the tournament with a 212 (70-68-74), just four shots behind the tri-medalists. He matched his career-low round for the third time with a 68 in round two.
• Drew Allenspach led the Hoosier contingent at Pinehurst. The freshman struggled to a 77 in round two but finished the tournament in 11th place due to a sparkling 1-under 71 in round one. The Sugar Land, Texas native collected the best finish of his career (previous best - tie for 18th at the Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge, Oct. 3-4).
Men's Swimming and Diving
• The Big Ten Champion Indiana men's swimming and diving squad closed out the 2006 NCAA Championships in Atlanta, Ga., on March 25, with a 12th-place total of 115.5 points. The point total is the most since Indiana tallied 173 points for fourth place at the 1977 NCAA Championships held in Cleveland, Ohio. Additionally, the 12th-place effort ties the best placement for IU since taking 12th at the 1989 NCAA Championships in Indianapolis.
• Meanwhile, senior Sergiy Fesenko surpassed his 1,650-yard school standard with an outstanding performance in the mile. In the 1,650-yard freestyle, Fesenko concluded his tremendous two-year career as a Hoosier with a 10th-place time of 14:58.02 to become the first sub-15 minute miler in program history.
• Meanwhile, freshman Nick Walkotten concluded an amazing first year of collegiate competition with his second All-America honor after turning in a ninth-place 1:44.62 in the 200-yard butterfly. With the eighth-lane outside smoke consolation win, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year posted the top finish in the event since Bob Alsfelder claimed ninth in the 200 fly at the 1975 NCAA Championships held in Cleveland, Ohio. Additionally, the school record-holder's time stands as the second fastest in program history.
• In the platform diving competition, senior Ryan Fagan closed out his Hoosier career with an eighth-place 300.40-point total. The effort snared the Pittsburgh, Pa., product his fourth career All-America certificate.
• The two-time Big Ten Swimmer of the Championships Kevin Swander closed out his time as a Hoosier as one of the most lauded swimmers in the history of the program. Overall, the Greenwood, Ind., product garnered 13 All-America certificates to move into 10th all-time in program history. He trailed only Jim Montgomery (20), Mark Spitz (19), John Kinsella (17), Gary Hall (17), Mel Nash (16), John Murphy (15), Gary Conelly (15), Fred Tyler (14) and Tom Hickcox (14) in career All-America citations.
• Kevin Swander blew away his school record in the 100-yard breaststroke by touching in second place with a 52.54, just .02 seconds behind California senior Henrique Barbosa's title-winning 52.52 time at NCAAs. The runner-up finish is the best for the Hoosiers since James `Doc' Counsilman's son, Jim, placed second in the 1970 NCAA Championships held in Salt Lake City, Utah. His time also made him the sixth-fastest 100-yard breaststroker in NCAA history. The four ahead of Barbosa and Swander each are Olympic medalists in Jeremy Linn, Brenden Hansen, Ed Moses and Steven Lundquist. Those four competitors earned a total of nine medals as well as five golds in the Olympics.
• Meanwhile, sophomore Taylor Roberts snared his second All-America citation with a 16th-place 258.30 on the tower in preliminary diving action. After a shaky first few rounds, Roberts connected on his final dive, an armstand back double somersault with 1.5 twists, for 52.80 points.
• Ben Hesen tied for fourth in the 100-yard backstroke with a 46.80, which stands as the fourth-fastest time in school history. Notably, the finish is the best in the 100-yard backstroke for the Hoosiers since Mark Kerry claimed fourth at the 1979 NCAA Championships held in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Overall, the Hoosiers upped the program's total All-America certificate haul to 984, while also increasing its diving tally to 157. Additionally, the Indiana men's swimming and diving team now boasts 827 swimming All-America citations, while also offering 207 total All-Americans.
Men's Tennis
• After opening the month with a 6-1 loss to then-No. 18 Notre Dame, the Hoosiers ran off eight straight wins to cap March. IU won all five matches during its spring break trip to Florida. The Hoosiers went from one game below .500 at 5-6 to 13-6 at the end of the month. Starting with a 6-1 win over North Florida to open its spring break trip on March 13, Indiana has won eight straight matches. The Hoosiers completed a five-match sweep during spring break with wins over Colgate (5-0), South Florida (4-3), Army (6-1) and Central Florida (5-2). IU then defeated Vincennes, 7-0, before disposing of then-No. 39 Penn State, 6-1, and Wisconsin, 4-3. It was the longest winning streak for a Hoosier team since the 1984-85 team won 11 straight from Feb. 9 through March 12.
• In the match against Notre Dame, sophomore Dara McLoughlin knocked off his second ranked opponent of the season with a three-set win over then-No. 60 Brett Helgeson, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. The win was the second in a line of what was a 10-match winning streak to end the month for McLoughlin. The streak was a season long and team long. He improved his record to 19-12 during the spurt.
• After dropping its first six matches to ranked opponents this season, the Hoosiers defeated then-No. 39 Penn State, 6-1, in University Park, Pa. The win was not only the first over a ranked foe this season, but the first victory for IU over a top-40 program on the road in three years. The last time IU defeated a top-40 opponent on the road was on Jan. 24, 2003, when it knocked off then-No. 27 Notre Dame, 4-3.
• In his 21st season as the Hoosier head coach, Ken Hydinger joined a list of elite Hoosier leaders with his 300th win at the institution. By virtue of IU's 5-0 victory over Colgate on March 13, Hydinger joined a list that includes Bob Morgan (baseball), Bob Knight (men's basketball), Lin Loring (women's tennis), Jerry Yeagley (men's soccer), Diane Stephenson (softball), Ernie Andres (baseball) and Branch McCracken (men's basketball) as one of only eight head coaches to win 300 games at IU.
Softball
• The Indiana Hoosiers had a successful month, going 14-7 in March and claiming their first tournament title since 2004 (2004 IU Classic) when they went 6-0 en route to the Florida State Tournament title on March 10-12. During its tournament run, IU defeated two ranked opponents (then-No. 15 Nebraska, then-No. 25 North Carolina), making it the first time since 1998 that the Hoosiers topped a ranked foe.
• Sophomore Jennilee Huddleston came up a triple short of a cycle in the Hoosiers' 9-2 victory over Illinois-Chicago on March 28. Huddleston opened the contest with a fly out to right field in her first at bat, and then followed it with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. The sophomore then shot a single up the middle in the top of the fifth inning to keep things rolling. The Peachtree, Ga., native grabbed a double down the left line in the top of the sixth to move just a triple away from a cycle. Huddleston, unfortunately, never got another chance at achieving the rare feat as she finished with a 3-for-4 performance with a run and an RBI in the win.
• Junior Kim Richards earned Most Valuable Player honors at the FSU Invitational for her efforts in leading the Hoosiers to a 6-0 record en route to their first tournament title since 2004 at the invitational. The center fielder registered seven hits, two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI during the six-game stretch. Senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado and senior right fielder Lauren Hines also received selections to the all-tournament team. Bogado proved instrumental in the Hoosier's title run, posting a 1.22 ERA while allowing only five earned runs through 28 2/3 innings of action. The senior also fanned 38 in the performance. Hines led all Hoosiers' at the tournament with a .474 batting average, a .579 slugging percentage, nine hits, two doubles and two RBI.
• Senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado grabbed her first career Big Ten Pitcher of the Week accolade for the week ending March 12, the league office announced on March 14. Bogado helped lead the Hoosiers to their first tournament title since claiming the 2004 IU Classic crown. Bogado led the Hoosiers from the hill with four wins en route to the FSU Invitational title in Tallahassee, Fla. Of Bogado's four wins, two came over top-25 opponents in then-No. 15 Nebraska, 2-1, and then-No. 25 North Carolina, 1-0. In total, Bogado recorded 38 strikeouts at the tournament and 41 in seven games. Additionally, Bogado gave up only five earned runs in her 30 2/3 innings of pitching. The effort included three complete games.
Track and Field
• Following the Big Ten's Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships, three Hoosiers earned All-Big Ten honors for their performances at the meet. David Neville garnered first team accolades, while Ryan Ketchum and Kiwan Lawson picked up second team honors.
• The Indiana men's and women's track and field teams concluded the Alex Wilson Invitational on March 5 with a first-place finish, two NCAA provisional qualifying marks and a pair of personal bests.
• In the women's mile, Larra Overton crossed the line in a personal best time of 4:50.71 for eighth place. Despite running the best mile of her career, she fell just over three seconds shy of the provisional mark. Jessica Gall picked up a seventh-place finish in the 3,000m. Gall's time of 9:33.80 met the NCAA's provisional qualifying mark of 9:35.00 in the event.
• On the men's side, Ryan Ketchum topped his personal-best mark in the shot put with a first-place throw of 18.92m (62-01.00). Additionally, Ketchum's hurl met the NCAA's provisional mark in the event. Ketchum has met the provisional mark on two occasions this indoor season.
• Four Hoosiers competed at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., on March 10-11, at Arkansas' Randall Tyson Indoor Track.
• Ryan Ketchum, the first Hoosier to compete at the championships, recorded a ninth-place finish in the shot put in his first appearance at the NCAAs. Ketchum's third throw of 18.61m (61-00.75) placed him third in his flight and ninth overall.
• Neville shattered his personal best and the school record in the 400m with an astounding time of 45.58 to take second place and advance to the finals in the event. The Merrillville, Ind., product's performance made him the second fastest athlete to run the 400m this season only behind LSU's Xavier Carter, who took first in the prelims with a time of 45.53. Neville's time of 45.58 bested the 22-year old mark of 46.14 set by Sunder Nix at the 1984 Big Ten Championships.
• In the 200m, Neville advanced to the finals with a sixth-best prelim time of 20.97. In the finals of the 200m, Neville posted an impressive personal best of 20.81 en route to a seventh-place finish.
• David Neville took runner-up in the 400m after shattering the school record and his personal best the night before in the prelims. Neville crossed the line for the 400m in an impressive 45.67.
• Two Indiana men's indoor track and field athletes earned All-America honors as announced by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association on March 23. Ryan Ketchum earned his first career All-America accolade in the shot put, while David Neville garnered the distinction in the 200m and 400m for the second consecutive year.
Water Polo
• The Indiana water polo team won 12 of 13 matches during the month of March. Including the impressive monthly mark, the Hoosiers won nine straight games, which tied for the second longest streak in school history. The Hoosiers also knocked off the first three ranked opponents during the month of March with wins over then-No. 15 Michigan, then-No. 17 Cal State-Northridge and then-No. 16 Michigan.
• The Hoosiers opened the month with seven straight Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Western Division victories to claim the program's second consecutive regular season division crown. Indiana capped the run with a 6-4 victory at then-No. 15 Michigan on March 17 to win the crown.
• After helping the Hoosiers to their second straight regular season division title and a 2-1 mark at the Wolverine Invitational, senior Janis Pardy earned the CWPA Western Division Player of the Week honor on March 23. Pardy scored a pair of goals in the Hoosiers 6-4 win over Michigan, including the eventual game-winner in the third period. She also notched a hat trick in a 10-9 win over then-No. 17 Cal State-Northridge.
• The Hoosiers completed a sweep of three matches at their first home event of the season, the Fluid Five Challenge, on March 25-26. IU defeated then-No. 16 Michigan, 6-5, on a power-play goal by junior Brooke Zimmerman in the waning minutes on March 25. The win over Michigan came on Senior Night when the program recognized the contributions of seniors Courtney Livak, Bridget McKeon, Clare Meadows, Janis Pardy and Katie Parrish. Indiana then powered past Wagner, 13-9, and Marist, 12-6, on the strength of nine goals from junior Melissa Soria.
• After starting the month ranked No. 19 in the national rankings, the Hoosiers moved up the poll and finished March in the No. 16 slot.
Women's Golf
• Senior Shannon Johnson blistered the Boulder Creek Golf Course with her second round of 68 in three days, to run away with medalist honors with a school record of five-under par 211 (68-75-68) at the UNLV Spring Invitational. Johnson blew past the field by recording birdies on three of her last five holes to finish four strokes ahead of second-place Alejandra Shaw of Campbell (215). As a team, Indiana finished tied with Texas Tech for 10th overall in the 19-team field with a 921 (301-307-313).
• The Sioux Falls, S.D., native topped the former three-round school record of 212, set by former All-American Karen Dennison at the 2002 Shootout at the Legends. Johnson also became the first IU golfer in school lore to record two separate rounds of 68 in the same tournament. Additionally, Johnson became the second Hoosier in school history to record rounds of 69 or below twice in her career (Dennison). The victory was Johnson's second of the 2005-06 campaign. She also captured medalist honors at the Notre Dame Invitational on Sept. 11.
• The Indiana women's golf team shot a season-low for the third straight round in the Rio Verde Intercollegiate on March 4. IU fired a 310 in the third and final round at White Wing Golf Course. The Hoosiers finished the tournament in 10th shooting 940 (316-314-310).
• Senior Shannon Johnson led the way for the Hoosiers in a tie for 10th. In the final round of the tournament, Johnson shot a 76 to bring her tournament total to a 13-over par 226 (76-74-76). It marked the first top-10 performance of the spring for Johnson and was her third of the 2005-06 campaign.
Women's Swimming and Diving
• The Indiana women's swimming and diving team closed out a successful season with a 14th-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga., on March 18. Overall, the Hoosiers tallied 91 points at the national meet.
• Two-time Big Ten Diver of the Year and of the Championships Christina Loukas tied former IU standout Sara Reiling for the best all-around finish at an NCAA contest since including the tower. Loukas became the first three-time championship finalist for the Hoosiers since Sara Reiling dove in all three final sessions at the 2002 NCAA Championships. She also tied Reiling's performance from that season for the best all-around effort at the pinnacle meet. In 2002, Reiling claimed third on the one-meter, second on the three-meter and eighth on the platform. This year, Loukas placed fifth on the one-meter, second on the three-meter and sixth on the tower with a 290.10 total.
• Both Lindsay Weigle and Heather Chapman earned diving All-America certificates, while Allison Kay and Leila Vaziri each picked up individual swimming citations. Meanwhile, Annica Lofstedt and Clarissa Wentworth garnered All-America honors as part of the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Women's Tennis
• The Indiana women's tennis team spent March in Bloomington. The Hoosiers went 4-1 in March, including three consecutive wins over ranked opponents and a perfect 3-0 mark to open Big Ten play.
• The then-No. 27 Indiana women's tennis team dropped to 9-4 on the season after it fell in a heartbreaker to then-No. 6 North Carolina on March 4. After UNC claimed the doubles point, the Hoosiers' brilliant singles play knotted the match at two. Despite taking three matches to the wire, IU could not hold on as the Tar Heels walked away with the 5-2 victory in Bloomington. Sophomore Brianna Williams and freshman Sigrid Fischer improved their record to 10-2 at No. 2 doubles after defeating their second-ranked opponent of the season in North Carolina's No. 45 Caitlin Collins and Laura Reichert, 8-5. In honor of her stellar play at the No. 2 singles position, junior Laura McGaffigan became the second Hoosier this season to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors on March 8. McGaffigan notched her first victory over a ranked opponent this season and the second of her career after easily defeating No. 56 Caitlin Collins 6-3, 6-2, against the Tar Heels.
• The Hoosiers improved to 10-4 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten after a convincing 6-1 victory over conference foe Penn State on March 5.
• The then-No. 33 IU claimed its third win over a ranked opponent this season and the first of three straight on March 19 in a 5-2 win over then-No. 68 Louisville. The Hoosiers improved their record to 11-4 by clinching the doubles point for the 11th time this season and winning four of the six singles matches against a hard-hitting Cardinal squad.
• Senior Sarah Batty earned her second Big Ten Player of the Week honor on March 22 after she defeated the hard-hitting Maria Klokotzky, 6-3, 6-0 at No. 1 singles. She then picked up an 8-5 win over Klokotzky and Robyn White at the No. 1 doubles position.
• The then-No. 35 Hoosiers defeated their fourth ranked opponent of the season in then-No. 33 Purdue on March 24. The Hoosiers' 5-2 victory earned Indiana one point in the AT&T Crimson and Gold Cup, giving IU the 9-5 edge. Indiana claimed the doubles point for the 13th time this season and earned wins in the No. 1, 3, 5 and 6 positions. The win improved the Hoosiers' record to 12-4 and 2-0 in the conference.
• To cap the month, IU defeated its third consecutive ranked opponent and its fifth of the season in a 6-1 win over then-No. 59 Illinois on March 26. The Hoosiers improved their record to 13-4 and a perfect 3-0 in the Big Ten, while head coach Lin Loring moved one win way from reaching his 300th career Big Ten victory.
• At No. 1 doubles, senior Sarah Batty and junior Laura McGaffigan improved to 14-3 after defeating their first ranked opponent of the season in Illinois' No. 37 pair of Macall Harkins and Emily Wang, 8-5. Harkins and Wang are the fourth ranked twosome Batty and McGaffigan have seen in 2006.
Wrestling
• The Indiana wrestling team closed out another tremendous season with a tied for 18th-place finish at the NCAA Championships on March 16-18 in Oklahoma City.
• Indiana finished with 35.0 points. The is the 15th time IU has finished in the top 20 at NCAAs, and the fourth time under head coach Duane Goldman's leadership.
• Senior 125-pounder Joe Dubuque concluded his illustrious season with his second consecutive national title, a third-place finish at Big Tens, his first regular-season title at the Mat Town Invitational, won 28 straight matches from March 6, 2005 to March 4, 2006 and became a three-time All-American (2004, 8th; 2005, 1st; 2006, 1st). During his career at Indiana, Dubuque is the fourth Hoosier grappler to earn three All-American honors in his career.
• Sophomore 157-pounder Brandon Becker concluded the 2006 campaign 28-9 overall and a two-time All-American (2005, 5th; 2006, 7th). Becker's top finishes on the season include his seventh-place finish at NCAAs, a fifth-place finish at Big Tens, a first-place outing at the Mat Town Invitational and a fourth-place placing at Midlands. Becker captured his 50th career victory with a 2-1 decision over then-No. 13 Nathan Galloway (PSU) to become the 14th Hoosier to accomplish the feat during his sophomore season. Becker won a season-best 11 matches from November 26-December30, 2005 and went 7-8 against ranked grapplers this year.
• The Hoosiers concluded the 2006 NCAA Championships with two All-Americans and one national champion.
