Cristy breaks record 3 times

Jenn Cristy called it. The senior said she was going to block out the Olympic and All-American caliber athletes surrounding her. She did. \nShe said she was going to swim the best she ever has this weekend. She was off to a good start Thursday night.\n"I know I'm going to wake up tomorrow and be like, 'Wait, it's Thursday, I have to do the 50,' because I feel like I'm dreaming right now." Cristy said.\nThursday morning in her preliminary heat of the 50-yard freestyle, Cristy broke her own school record with a time of 22.54 seconds. That was just the beginning. \nThe night's finals began with the 200 freestyle relay. Cristy led off for the Hoosiers. In doing so, she was in the position to break her record once again. According to NCAA rules, the first leg of any relay can count as a personal time as well. \nOnce again Cristy came through, breaking her record for the second time in a day by .9 seconds. IU's team of Cristy, sophomores Anne Williams and Sarah Bowman and junior Susan Woessner shocked the top-seeded Wolverines from the outside lane to claim the top spot with a school record time of 1 minute, 31.07 seconds. Afterwards, the air in Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center was filled with amplified cheers of approval from the crowd.\n"I'm ecstatic," Cristy said. "I'm with the best sprint group (Williams, Bowman, Woessner) in the country by my terms. I love my relay."\nCristy would take this incredible momentum into the finals of the 50-yard freestyle. Her name was announced to the approval of the many fans in the stands. She smiled and waved to the crowd in a gesture that communicated the laid back yet focused demeanor she has been so intent on having this weekend. \nIt was especially important for Cristy to block out the other talent around her in this particular event. She had Wolverines stalking for the kill on either side of her. On one side was Olympic gold medalist Samantha Arsenault, on the other side was the favorite coming into Thursday's competition, long-time rival Jennifer Crisman. Everyone else noticed this, but Cristy didn't seem to.\nShe stepped onto the starting block and the crowd went silent. As the horn sounded to signify the start of the race, the entire Natatorium erupted. On the first and only flip turn, Cristy had a slight lead on both Arsenault and Crisman. As they sprinted back for the finish, Cristy gained ground and hit the wall first. \nHer time registered on the scoreboard and the mayhem ensued. She had done it once again. For the third time in one magical day, she had broken her school record and done much more. She ensured an automatic bid to swim in the NCAA championships in March and now has the best time in the country thus far. When asked what her goals were for this meet, she said it is too far off to think about.\n"I'm taking this one step at a time," she said.\nWilliams, who swam in the consolation heat of the 50-yard freestyle, broke her personal best time by a tenth of a second and has a chance for the NCAAs. Depending on whether or not the 200 free relay is called to the championship meet, she might be swimming the 50 free there as well. Williams said the momentum they gained from prelims Thursday morning and the 200 free relay helped her focus on the 50 freestyle.\n"I was totally pumped after that relay," said Williams, "and it just carried over to my 50."\nOn Cristy's final race, Williams had nothing but praise.\n"It's her last meet and she is determined to go out with style," Williams said, "It doesn't matter what she's done or anybody else has done. She is completely zoned in."\nCoach Dorsey Tierney said one key to Cristy's success was forgetting about everything and concentrating at the task at hand.\n"She's had her ups and downs and she's managed to pull through all that," Tierney said. "Because of that, she's just stronger. Nothing gets to her anymore really. She has managed to get in her own little zone and focus on herself."\nThis has been tough for Cristy to do in the past, but it wasn't Thursday as she picked up two Big Ten Championships.\n"I've always had a problem with (worrying about the competition)," Cristy said. "But now I've got nothing to lose. Being in here, in my pool, this is the way to go out. That was my plan -- to go out with a bang. I told Dorsey all year, wait for Big Tens"