Swimmer constantly progressing

When Susan Woessner came to IU as a freshman in the fall of 1998, the IU swim team was in the process of a makeover. Woessner's freshman year was also the first year for coach Dorsey Tierney at the helm of the Hoosier program.\nBut Woessner and the Hoosiers have come a long way since those early days.\nWoessner, a native of Dayton, Ohio, where she attended Oakwood High School, came to IU as a walk-on and has progressed into an All-American and Big Ten champion. Along with her rise, the IU program has improved from an eighth place finish at the Big Ten Championships her freshman year, to a third place finish in 2001.\nTierney doesn't believe Woessner's contributions to the IU program can be measured by her statistics and achievements.\n"Her influence on this program is really immeasurable," Tierney said. "We didn't expect this much from her. Her leadership is invaluable. She truly puts the team before herself and I say that wholeheartedly in every aspect. She is more in tune with what is going on around her than anyone I have ever coached and you can't put that into value."\nFellow swimmer Anne Williams also recognized Woessner's leadership and hard work as motivation for the rest of the Hoosier squad.\n"The progression of her swimming is a tremendous role model for everybody," Williams said. "Once she knew she could compete, she stepped up her standard of training and her mental attitude. She is an excellent leader and an excellent teammate."\nWoessner wasn't sure she wanted to swim in college, but former IU head coach Nancy Nitardy was willing to let Woessner walk-on. After that, Woessner gives the credit to Tierney and the changes she has made to the program.\n"I thought I would give it a try," Woessner said. "The first year was pretty tough. Dorsey (Tierney) has done a great job of turning this around by changing the attitude of the team."\nThe experience of the Big Ten Championships and the team aspect, Woessner said, have been her favorite IU memories.\n"Every year, Big Ten has gotten more amazing than the last," she said. "To watch us really become a team has been the best part of my experience here."\nWoessner anchored IU's 200-yard freestyle relay Big Ten Championship team in 2001, and holds two individual school records and is part of four relay school records.\nShe also competed in the 2001 World University Games in Beijing, China. Woessner came home with two silver medals and one bronze medal. Her silvers came in the 400-meter medley relay and the 100-meter backstroke where she posted a time of 1:02.48, the 26th fastest time in U.S. history. Woessner's bronze medal came in the 50-meter backstroke.\nTierney says the hardest thing for Woessner to deal with is the winter break because Woessner loves to race and compete.\n"Christmas training is so tough for her, because there isn't a meet for about a month and it drives her nuts," Tierney said. "She is just so excited to be racing again in the second semester."\nWoessner quickly returned to racing form and it showed this past weekend in the Hoosiers dual meet against Purdue. Woessner went head-to-head against the Boilermakers Lisa Dolansky, a two-time Swimmer of the Week award recipient in the Big Ten conference this season.\nWhile their match-ups were expected to be the premier events of the meet, Woessner dominated both the 100 and 200-yard backstroke. She defeated Dolansky by over a second and a half in the 100-yard competition and by nearly three seconds in the 200-yard event.\nCompetition is what brings out Woessner's full potential, Tierney said.\n"Given the fact that she was against one of the best backstrokers in the country (in Dolansky), I figured she needed that and it brought out her best," Tierney said. "She brings out her best when she is up against the best"