Indiana University Athletics
Vaziri Claims National Title in 100-Meter Backstroke
8/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Aug. 3, 2006
IRVINE, Calif. - Rising Indiana senior Leila Vaziri took the title in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2006 ConocoPhillips National Championships/World Championship Trials at the William Woollett, Jr. Aquatic Center on Aug. 2, earning her first national championship.
Vaziri, who finished second in the morning's preliminary session, claimed the championship with a 1:01.69 mark in the final, good for an Olympic Trial cut. The Coral Springs, Fla., native, who is swimming for Coral Springs Swim Club at the championships, earned the right to represent the United States at the Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The Pan Pacific Championships start Aug. 17.
"We're swimming well and to have a national champion at a meet of this level is nice," Indiana head coach Ray Looze said. "We're very proud of Leila. She's really burst onto the scene this summer, and she continues to do well. We're looking forward to seeing what she does in a couple of weeks at the Pan Pacifics."
The national championship is Indiana's second in three years at the summer championships. Former Hoosier standout Kevin Swander took gold in the 100m breast on the men's side in 2004.
Vaziri will see a familiar face at the Pan Pacific Championships, as 2006 Indiana graduate Kristen Bradley will compete in the 400m individual medley for Canada. Bradley qualified during Canada's Pan Pacific Trials in July.
Vaziri was joined in the preliminaries of the 100m back by teammate and rising sophomore Kristin Cihoski, who finished 74th with a time of 1:07.03.
Rising senior Clarissa Wentworth competed in the 200m freestyle, posting a 98th-place finish in the prelims with a 2:06.52 mark.
The 400m free relay unit of incoming freshman Brittany Epperson, Wentworth, rising sophomore Allison Kay and incoming freshman Alyssa Rosinko took 23rd in the final of that event, combining to produce a 3:55.94 effort.
The National Championships resume on Aug. 3, with the 100m breast, 50m free, 400m IM and 800m free relay on the slate. Preliminaries start at 9 a.m. Pacific time, with finals starting at 5:30 p.m.
