Oct. 23, 2009

Complete Results

EVANSTON, Ill. - Senior Kate Fesenko picked up right where she left off last season with three individual wins and a pair of pool records as the Hoosiers took a 156-144 victory over Northwestern Friday afternoon in Evanston, Ill.

"We had some great individual performances," said head coach Ray Looze. "Some people are ahead of where they have been and other are a little bit behind, but we knew that coming in. We've been a little bit hurt by illnesses on the team. We have some work to do to get everyone caught up and going to fulfill our potential.

"I knew Northwestern would be very good and we had a feeling both meets would come down to the end. We have a little bit of work to do, but there is time to do that. We are going to focus on our preparation over the next six to eight weeks."

Indiana opened the meet with a win in the 200-medley relay as Kate Fesenko, Ashley Specht, Donna Smailis and Margaux Farrell combined for a time of 1:44.21. The quartet of Taylor Wohrley, Brittany Barwegen, Kim Tracey and Justine Jones placed sixth with a time of 1:50.00.

The Hoosiers extended their lead over the Wildcats when sophomore Alyssa Vavra won the 1,000 free in a time of 10:05.51. Senior Cassie Luhrsen placed third (10:18.39), followed by sophomore Nikki White in fourth (10:23.71) and sophomore Laura Head in eighth (10:36.01). The race gave IU a 25-11 lead in the points tally.

The points race tightened a bit in the 200 freestyle as Brittany Strumbel was the Hoosiers' top finisher in second place at 1:50.77. Farrell was third (1:51.10), with Courey Schaefer sixth (1:55.11) and White eighth (2:00.01). The Hoosiers lead was down to just nine at 32-23.

It is no surprise that the Hoosiers dominated the 100-backstroke race, led by Fesenko who posted an NCAA B cut and set a new pool record of 53.71 for the win. Senior Ashley Jones was second in 56.85, with freshman Wohrley fourth (57.65) and sophomore Kim Tracey fifth (58.65). That gave IU a 20-point lead at 47-27.

Senior Amilee Smith led the way in the 100 breaststroke with a second-place time of 1:05.13. Specht was fifth (1:06.08), with sophomore Katelyn Ishee sixth (1:06.78) and freshman Afton Robertson seventh (1:09.31).

Barwegen took command in the 200 butterfly, posting an NCAA B cut of 2:00.57 to take the victory. Vavra was third (2:04.15), and Head seventh (2:11.99).

Northwestern cut Indiana's lead to just three, 67-64, after the 50 freestyle. Smailis was the top Hoosier with a fourth-place showing (23.76), with Farrell fifth (23.95), Jones seventh (25.20) and sophomore Kristen Mitsch eighth (26.28).

Smailis took second in the 100 free with a time of 50.73, while Farrell was sixth (52.42), Strumbel seventh (52.76) and Schaefer eighth (54.37). With the three-meter diving results factored in, that put IU nine points behind NU at 89-80.

Fesenko made it a clean sweep in the backstroke events, taking the 200 back in a pool record and NCAA B cut time of 1:56.10. Ashley Jones was second (2:03.02), with Wohrley third (2:03.82) and Tracey seventh (2:06.96). That gave the Hoosiers a four-point lead at 96-92.

"Kate was phenomenal," Looze said. "That was a special couple of swims. And I thought (Alyssa) Vavra was outstanding."

Sophomore Gabby Agostino took second in the 3-meter springboard with a score of 285.90. Junior Christina Kouklakis was third (258.90) and senior Amy Korthauer fifth (209.10).

On the 1-meter springboard, Korthauer was victorious with 31.85 points, followed by Kouklakis in third (270.95) and Agostino fourth (258.80).

Northwestern went back on top, 106-101 after the 200 breaststroke where Amilee Smith was the top Hoosier at 2:20.10. Barwegen was fifth (2:23.80), with Ishee sixth (2:25.53) and Specht seventh (2:26.80).

Vavra continued her streak in the distance events, leading a 1-2 IU sweep in the 500 free with a time of 4:56.90. Strumbel was second (4:57.68), with Luhrsen fifth (5:01.74) and White eighth (5:09.18). Junior Ashley Kranz swam an exhibition time of 5:15.77.

Fesenko added her third win of the night with a tie of 54.73 in the 100 fly. Smailis was third (56.00), Barwegen fourth (56.39) and Tracey sixth (57.93). That gave Indiana a 129-116 lead.

In the 400 individual medley, Ashley Jones took first in a time of 4:21.32. Amilee Smith was fourth (4:26.52) and Luhrsen seventh (4:41.56).

The meet ended with the 200 free relay, as Strumbel, White, Ashley Jones and Wohrley took fourth in 1:39.05. Indiana's B squad of Schaefer, Specht, Justine Jones and Mitsch placed sixth (1:40.97).