Indiana University Athletics
No. 12 Indiana Opens New Year at No. 16 Michigan
1/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Jan. 7, 2010
NO. 12 INDIANA AT NO. 16 MICHIGAN
January 9, 2010 - Noon
Canham Natatorium
Ann Arbor, Mich.
SETTING THE SCENE
• The Hoosiers return from their winter break with a Big Ten showdown against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
• This is the second meeting between the schools this year as IU topped the Wolverines by a 215-174 score in a double dual meet in Austin Texas in October.
• The Hoosiers return to Canham Natatorium for the first time since winning the 2009 Big Ten title there last February.
• The meet will begin at noon on Saturday, Jan. 9.
NEWS AND NOTES
• Senior Kate Fesenko won two national titles at the 2009 U.S. Short Course Nationals in December.
• Fesenko went 1:52.54 in the 200 back, and NCAA A cut. She also earned her A cut in the 100 back with a winning time of 52.70.
• She also went a season best in the 100 fly (53.19) and was part of top-10 finishes in the 400 free relay (ninth), 800 free relay (4th) and 400 medley relay (9th).
• Donna Smailis posted an NCAA B cut and finished 11th in the 100 free (49.65). She was also 10th in the 200 free with an NCAA B cut of 1:47.05. Nikki White picked up an NCAA B cut in the prelims of the 200 free with a time of 1:49.98.
• White was 10th in the 500 free with an NCAA B time of 4:46.24, and finished 15th in the 1,650 free (16:45.26).
• Smailis was seventh in the 100 back with a season best time of 53.65, an NCAA B mark.
• Allysa Vavra took 19th in the 200 breaststroke with a season best and NCAA B time of 2:15.23. She was also 8th in the 400 IM with an NCAA B time of 4:13.73 in the prelims.
• Brittany Barwegen posted her fastest time of the year in the 200 fly at nationals with a mark of 1:59.80, good for 19th place.
• Smailis, Fesenko, White and Vavra combined for an NCAA B cut in the 800 free relay with a time of 7:20.70.
• The rest of the Hoosiers traveled to Kentucky on Dec. 5 where they finished in a 149-149 tie with the Wildcats.
• Brittany Strumbel, Taylor Wohrley and Margaux Farrell each posted a pair of victories for Indiana.
• At the Ohio State Invitational, Amy Korthauer won the women's platform title with a score of 294.25.
• The Hoosiers posted eight victories at the 2009 Hoosierland Invitational, Nov. 20-22 at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington.
• Kate Fesenko led the way with wins in the 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 200 butterfly. Her time of 1:57.83 in the 200 fly is the fastest by a Hoosier this year and an NCAA B cut, while she went 53.15 in the 100 back.
• Allysa Vavra won the 400 individual medley, while Amy Korthauer won the platform diving competition with a school-record score of 388.95.
• Cassie Luhrsen was victorious in the 1,650 freestyle, and the Hoosiers also took the 800 free relay title.
• Brittany Barwegen finished second in the 100 breaststroke, posting the fastest time by a Hoosier this season with a 1:04.52.
• Indiana posted a 215-174 win over Big Ten foe Michigan and fell 222-162 to Texas in a double dual meet in Austin, Oct. 30-31.
• Fesenko remains unbeaten in the 100 back and 200 back, nearly posting an A cut in the 100 back with a time of 53.30. She went 1:55.56 in the 200 back.
• Fesenko also took second in the 100 fly and 200 individual medley.
• Brittany Strumbel took third in the 500 free with a season-best time of 4:52.37.
• Luhrsen led the way with a fourth-place finish in the 1,650 free (17:08.16), followed by Allysa Vavra in sixth (17:25.83).
• Vavra won the 200 breaststroke in 2:17.90 and posted the second-fastest time of the year by a Hoosier in the 100 breaststroke at 1:04.72 (fifth). She was also third in the 400 IM with an NCAA B cut of 4:15.84.
• Brittany Barwegen took second in the 200 fly, improving her NCAA B cut with a time of 1:59.83.
• Senior Amy Korthauer won the platform competition in Texas with a score of 279.90, while Gabby Agostino was fourth in the 1-meter springboard.
• Fesenko got her senior season off to a fast start, setting pool records and posting NCAA B cuts in the 100 back and 200 back at Northwestern.
• Entering her first full season as a Hoosier, Vavra posted wins in the 1,000 free and 500 free at Northwestern.
• Korthauer posted a career best and NCAA Zone-qualifying score of 311.85 on the 1-meter springboard at Northwestern.
• Indiana enters the 2009-10 season as the defending Big Ten Champion after capturing its second title in three seasons in 2009.
• The Hoosiers return seven All-Big Ten performers from that team, led by All-American Kate Fesenko.
• Fesenko is a two-time Big Ten champion in the 100 back and 200 back, and holds the conference record in both events.
• Sophomores Brittany Strumbel and Margaux Farrell are back after earning All-Big Ten and All-America honors as freshmen.
• Senior Donna Smailis returns after earning All-America honors in the 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay.
• Leading the divers is senior Brittany Feldman. Feldman was third on the 3-meter at last year's NCAA Championships.
• Senior Ashley Jones earned All-Big Ten honors last season and had a strong summer of competition, setting a new school mark in the 200-meter backstroke.
KENTUCKY RECAP
• Led by double victories from Brittany Strumbel, Taylor Wohrley and Margaux Farrell, the Indiana women's swimming and diving team finished in a 149-149 tie with the Kentucky Wildcats on Dec. 5 in Lexington, Ky.
• Indiana opened the meet with a second-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay as Wohrley, Ashley Specht, Kim Tracey and Farrell finished in a time of 1:45.71. Amilee Smith and Cassie Luhrsen went 2-3 in the 1,000-yard freestyle, with Smith touching in 10:10.77, followed by Luhrsen in 10:22.24
• Strumbel's first of two wins came in the 200 freestyle where she posted a season best of 1:50.69. She also won the 500 free in 4:54.38. Luhrsen was second in the 500 freestyle, posting a season-best time of 4:58.63.
• Wohrley swept the backstroke events, first taking the 100 back in a season-best time of 55.93. She then added another season best with a win in the 200 back in 2:01.36. Ashley Jones took second in the 200 back with a time of 2:02.33.
• Specht was the top Hoosier finisher in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:07.00, good for third place. Jones led the IU contingent in the 200 butterfly with her fourth-place showing (2:07.55).
• Farrell made it a sweep in the freestyle sprint events, posting a season-best time in the 50 free of 23.68 for the win. She also clocked a season low in the 100 freestyle with a winning time of 51.02.
• Indiana swept the diving events, beginning with Gabby Agostino's win on the 1-meter springboard with a score of 284.03. Teammate Logan Kline was second with marks tallying 277.65. It was Christina Kouklakis taking the 3-meter title with a season-best score of 299.25.
• Amilee Smith gave Indiana its ninth individual win of the meet by taking the 400 individual medley in a season-best time of 4:22.98. Ashley Jones touched the wall second in 4:24.52.
• Tracey placed as the top Hoosier in the 100 butterfly, finishing in 57.95, while Farrell, Strumbel, Courey Schaefer and Ashley Jones finished the day with a third-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay (1:37.57).
HOOSIERS NO. 12 IN DUAL MEET POLL
• Indiana is No. 12 in the latest College Swim Coaches Association of America Division I top-25 poll released on Dec. 15.
• The Hoosiers dropped three spots from their No. 9 ranking in the inaugural poll.
• Minnesota is the top-ranked Big Ten team at No. 10, followed by the Hoosiers, No. 16 Michigan, No. 17 Wisconsin, No. 22 Purdue and No. 23 Northwestern.
• The Hoosiers have already posted dual meet wins this year over Northwestern and Michigan.
FESENKO NAMED BIG TEN SWIMMER OF THE WEEK FOR THIRD TIME
• For the third time this season, Indiana University senior Kate Fesenko is the Big Ten Women's Swimmer of the Week, the conference office announced on Dec. 8.
• Fesenko earned the honor after winning two individual titles and posting a pair of NCAA automatic qualifying times at the U.S. Short Course Nationals Dec. 3-5 in Federal Way, Wash. Fesenko won the 100-yard backstroke in 52.70, earning her a spot in the event at the NCAA Championships in March. She went on to win the 200-yard backstroke in 1:52.54, which is the second-fastest time in school history and tops among collegians this year.
• Her weekend of competition also included a season-best time of 53.19 in the 100 butterfly, a 1:59.65 in the 200 individual medley, and a fourth-place finish in the 800 free relay (7:20.70). All three times are provisional NCAA qualifying marks.
• This is the third time this season Fesenko has been honored by the Big Ten Conference for her accomplishments in the pool. She was also named Big Ten Women's Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.
Players Mentioned
