Fiden looks to future

Sarah Fiden splashed onto the scene for IU swimming last year as a freshman. \nIn her first year as a Hoosier, Fiden set three individual school records in the 500-yard freestyle, 1000-yard freestyle and the mile. She was also a part of the Hoosiers school record setting 800-yard freestyle relay team. Fiden also received IU's Freshman of the Year award.\nFiden came to IU from Kettering Fairmont High School in Kettering, Ohio, where she was a three-time All-American and posted five school records. She also won the mile race at the YMCA Nationals with her club team from the South Kettering YMCA where she was coached by Gary Galbreath.\nNow, with a year under her belt at IU, Fiden is eyeing a Big Ten championship in the mile (1650-yard) freestyle. She has even greater aspirations by the time she is through with her collegiate career.\n"Within the next four weeks, I am looking at a Big Ten championship as a whole and individually," Fiden said. "By my senior year, we have talked about (me being an) NCAA champion. I see that as being far out, but it is possible if I put my mind to it and put the training in I need to."\nFiden holds IU's fastest times of the season in the 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard free and mile freestyle. Her time in the mile (16:30.60) is the tenth fastest in the nation and second fastest in the Big Ten conference this season.\nGalbreath said Fiden always liked challenges whether they were mental or physical and credited to her relentless work ethic.\n"Sarah always had a great work ethic," Galbreath said. "She was always determined to do well and if you put a goal in front of her you knew she would accomplish it because she doesn't want to let herself or her team down."\n It's the mental toughness of the mile race that Fiden likes.\n "The distance events are more mental than physical," Fiden said. "The older I got in high school, the 500 started getting easier for me and then I tried the mile my senior year. It is more comfortable for me to go longer distances; the longer I go the better I get. I like the challenge of the mile."\nFiden admits that most high-schoolers want to be sprinters, but she found her niche in the distance events.\nIt's a niche that impresses freshman teammate Erin Smith who said Fiden is a positive influence both in and out of the pool.\n"Sarah amazes me, I don't know how she does it," Smith said of Fiden's mile swims. "Sarah and the distance swimmers show that our team is versatile and can do everything. She makes sure to tell you if you are getting the job done or if you aren't getting the job done. She is very positive and really supportive."\nComing off what IU head coach Dorsey Tierney called a fantastic winter training period, Fiden was looking to go even faster for the Hoosiers. But the sophomore has recently battled an ankle injury that has slowed her progress.\nTierney and Fiden insist the injury has not hampered her improvements too much.\n"Sarah lost a little confidence last week, and I am really pleased with the way she came back this week," Tierney said. "She needed to remind herself that she can swim fast and do things right."\n"I don't think my ankle will set me back at all, it has pretty much only hurt my confidence and I have worked to get that out of my mind," Fiden added.\nAfter her four years at IU, Fiden hopes to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2004. She is a kinesiology major and wants to either coach or teach after her swimming career.