Swimmers enjoy success

When the Hoosiers stepped onto the pool deck of Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center for the first day of competition in the Big Ten Championships Thursday, they weren't sure what to expect.\nThey knew they had the ability and drive to do well. In one of the strongest swimming conferences in the nation, it was difficult to predict any definite outcome, but IU was determined to swim to its fullest potential.\nBy Saturday, the Hoosiers had met and exceeded their expectations, breaking 36 personal records and 16 school records. Senior Jenn Cristy claimed first place in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles in the last Big Ten meet of her career, breaking school records in both races. Cristy was named Swimmer of the Big Ten Championships. The 200 yard freestyle relay of Cristy, sophomores Anne Williams and Sarah Bowman and junior Susan Woessner also claimed the top spot at the meet. \nThe Hoosiers finished in third place overall with 460.50 points, behind champion Michigan and runner-up Penn State. \nCoach Dorsey Tierney, who had set the goal of scoring 450 points before the meet began, credited the team's cohesiveness and leadership to the weekend's success.\n"This year we had a group of leaders," Tierney said. "From the first day of practice, I knew we had a highly motivated group. They are all on the same page. If one is down, they will go and pick them up. Our captains do a great job of motivating the team."\nAt the end of the meet Saturday night, Tierney received Big Ten Coach of the Year honors to the loud approval of her team and fans in the stands. She said she was happy to have received the award in such a tough and highly competitive conference.\n"It's always a great honor," Tierney said. "We have such a good conference all around. I thought this was a great meet. I thought every single team stepped up and did a great job. It's hard to single out one person, and I'm very honored to be that person."\nTierney also credited her assistant coach, Greg Earhart, for helping her develop the team.\nSophomore Megan Geers said she was impressed by IU's performance.\n"I think everyone has been swimming to the best of their ability," Geers said.\nIn a conference in which six teams were ranked going into the meet, IU was considered somewhat of a dark horse. Cristy said the fact that no one was sure of what her team would be able to accomplish at the meet motivated them to prove they were capable of success.\n"(The team) is amazing. I have no other word for us," Cristy said. "We're surprising everybody, breaking every single record. We're pretty excited"