Little sister finally wins

Although her team won the swim meet Saturday in Bloomington, Dorsey Tierney didn't stick her tongue out at her opponent and older brother Jimmy Tierney, who coaches the Northwestern team. \nInstead, Dorsey and Jimmy met half-way across the deck and chatted endlessly, congratulating each other and discussing strategies.\nThe Hoosiers defeated the nationally ranked Wildcats 168.5-131.5 at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center.\nLast year, Jimmy's team defeated Dorsey's Hoosiers in the coaches' first dual meet against each other. Under Jimmy, Northwestern has developed into a top 15 program that hasn't finished worse than fourth place in the Big Ten Championships.\nSaturday was round two of the Tierney struggle. \nJimmy said the conversation after IU's upset consisted mostly of well-wishing, but he said big-brotherly words of wisdom were also prevalent.\n"He gave me some advice," Dorsey said. "I listened."\nAfter IU's win, does she think she should give him some advice from now on?\n"Christmas will be interesting," she said with a smirk.\nBorn in Louisville, Ky., the Tierney children grew up around the pool deck. Their mother was a pool manager and swimming instructor at the time.\nDorsey said she didn't start swimming by choice.\n"I just tagged along and went with (mom) and my brothers and sisters," she said.\nDorsey began her swimming career at age 8. At 13, she joined the Lakeside Swim Club, a competitive club in Louisville, and swam for three years with her brother as a coach.\n"Dorsey, of course, was the great swimmer from that club team," Jimmy said.\nAfter high school, Dorsey went to the University of Texas, where she broke the NCAA record in the 200 breaststroke and competed in two Pan-American Games. At the Games, she earned her first gold medal and was ranked third in the world in the 200-meters breaststroke.\nWhile Dorsey swam for Texas, Jimmy was involved with Northwestern's swimming program, first as an assistant, and in 1993, as head coach. Previously, he earned a master's degree in sports management from Southern Illinois University.\nAfter a brief assistant coaching position at Texas, Dorsey moved to Massachusetts to pursue a master's degree in sports management -- just like her brother did.\nDorsey got her first head coaching position with the Egyptian National Team during the Mediterranean Games. Under her guidance, one of the team's swimmers earned three gold medals.\nWith that experience, Dorsey took the head coaching position with the Hoosiers.\nDorsey's second year at IU was a season of broken records. Sixteen of the current 20 records are held by swimmers from the 2000 squad. That team earned almost 100 more points than the 1999 squad for the biggest point increase by any Big Ten school in a year.\nThe Hoosiers are ranked in the top 25 in a pre-season poll, a first in Dorsey's career at IU, and her swimmers said they know she is the driving force behind them.\nSenior Jenn Cristy said Dorsey was the sole reason that her best stroke, the 100-meters freestyle, developed out of almost nothing. During her last three years at IU, Cristy has improved immensely on her times.\nIU swimming has a rich history of Olympic participation, and Cristy tried to qualify for the 2000 Games. She came up short of qualifying in all of her races at the Olympic Trials.\n"I should've gone farther," she said. "But I think I lost focus. As far as even getting to the trials, that was all Dorsey."\nWhile Dorsey has motivated Cristy, Jimmy has always made a special effort to be there for his sister.\n"He would talk with me before meets," she said. "And he was always the first to congratulate me afterward."\nThe days leading to Saturday's confrontation between the siblings weren't as tense as expected for a sibling rivalry. \nInstead of snarling over dinner, brother and sister spent time catching up.\n"This was good for us because it's hard to see each other when we're so busy," Jimmy said. "We just tried to relax and have fun"