Seniors look to freshmen

At last weekend's dual meet with Kentucky, the seniors took the spotlight for the final home meet of their careers. But also making waves in the Hoosier's campaign for a Big Ten Championship has been the performance of a spectacular freshman class.\nRecruiting has been something Coach Dorsey Tierney focused on in her successful efforts to place the IU swim team among the top squads in the nation. Tierney is in her fifth season as IU's coach, meaning the team is comprised entirely of her recruits. The overwhelming success IU has experienced this season has come with Tierney's great talent of recruitment, and the five outstanding freshmen have helped catapult the Hoosiers to prominence in collegiate swimming.\n"The team has changed so much since my first year," senior Kristy Martin said. "I am so proud to be a part of it."\nMartin, a senior from Gardner, Mass., has witnessed the evolution of the women's swim team under Tierney.\n"The freshmen have fit in well," Martin said. "They have adjusted quickly and become a great asset."\nAnd it is no secret that successful recruiting efforts have been a key to IU's string of victories. Under Tierney, the Hoosiers have experienced win after win because of the depth and athleticism of the squad. Recruiting swimmers with numerous state championship titles has been vital to continuing the winning IU tradition.\nFreshman Lauren Lubus has improved in a mere season to make substantial contributions for the Hoosiers. This past weekend in the 500-yard freestyle, Lubus blew away her competition and swam a 4:56:05, a top-10 time in IU history.\n"The progress of the whole freshman class has been tremendous," Lubus said.\nLauren Torpey, a freshman considered to be one of the hardest workers on the team, has stepped in to make an immediate contribution to the winning tradition. Torpey has already won several events this season and helps to lead the way for the outstanding freshman class. The Ohio native, who won two individual state championships and six relay titles while in high school, leads Tierney's stellar recruiting class.\n"Lauren is very talented, works hard, and has exceeded our expectations as a freshman. She has gotten better with every time in the pool," Tierney said.\nFreshman Doherty Colgin has also put up impressive numbers in her first season as a Hoosier. Colgin, who in high school was the U.S. Southeastern champion in the 100-butterfly, adds depth and competition experience to a superb class of newcomers.\nHer performance against Ohio State on Jan. 11 helped the Hoosiers to a 150.50-84.50 blowout. In only the second event of the meet, the 1,000-yard freestyle, Colgin's performance was matched only by Torpey's. The two tied for first place by recording identical times of 10:12.00, with Torpey overcoming a 1.27 second deficit in the final 50 yards.\nTierney said the freshmen have made a mark even more in practice by setting high levels of standards and intensity. \n"Normally the upperclassmen dictate the level of intensity during practice," Tierney said. "But the freshmen have been making a significant impact day to day. They have been great since day one"