Freshman makes impact

This year, the women's swimming and diving team has a certain swimmer who has the potential that college teams are always looking for.\nLeila Vaziri, who has become one of the team's star swimmers this year, is a freshman from Coral Springs, Fla. Vaziri has been really consistent this year in many of the team's relays and she has been someone that the team can count on.\nVaziri seems to have adjusted well to the program and IU, and she feels so far this has been a great experience for her.\n"I am proud of how I have adjusted to the intense schedule you can have as a student athlete at college," Vaziri said. "It can be demanding and sometimes very overwhelming, but it teaches you great time management." \nIn the team's last meet against Northwestern, Vaziri was a quadruple winner. It is performances like that against Northwestern that has made her a leader even as a freshman. Vaziri has some short term goals she would like to reach for swimming. \n"This season I hope to make cuts in my NCAA events," Vaziri said. "Also I would like to make the Olympic trials cuts in many events." \nVaziri is close to reaching those goals. Last year at the Olympic trials, she missed the cuts in four of her events by mere hundredths of a second. Vaziri feels she is close to reaching some shorter term goals.\nVaziri commented that she has adjusted really well to the program with the help of many of her teammates and coaches. She said it has made this experience much easier for her.\n"Being an athlete in college, you spend 90 percent of your time with these people, and I am fortunate they are great people," she said.\nOne of those teammates is senior Brooke Taflinger, who is ecstatic about Vaziri's performance thus far. Taflinger is pleased with what she has done as only a freshman and feels Vaziri has a lot to prove for the future.\n"She is a great relay swimmer, and I know she is going to keep contributing throughout the year," Taflinger said. "She is off to a great start."\nAlthough the adjustment has been smooth for Vaziri, she still admits that the homesick feeling arises every once in a while. She credits her parents, Lise and Mansour Vaziri, and even brother Ramin, for a lot of her success. She said the hardest part thus far is getting use to the climate change between Indiana and Florida.\nVaziri came from a prestigious, but small program, in Coral Springs that really prepared her for college swimming. No matter how prepared one person can be, college level sports can still be intimidating. \n"It is very intimidating to swim in college, but you learn to adjust and try to keep your head and nerves from interfering in your race," Vaziri said.\nVaziri's performance has been nothing of a surprise to her. She has been training at a more intense level, which has prepared her for this experience. Vaziri is really anticipating the big meets at the end of the year, such as the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships.\nVaziri has made her mark not only at IU but around the nation. She has been nationally ranked in four of her events this year. She placed in the top 25 in the 400-yard freestyle relay, 800-yard freestyle relay, 100-yard backstroke, and 100-yard freestyle. She has ranked among the top 10 all-time at the school in five of her events.\nVaziri, like any young athlete, has a lot of growing and molding to do, but most people would agree she's on the right track. Vaziri and IU will continue their success this weekend when they face off in the IU Invitational. This will be one of their first big meets of the season. It will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday. IU swim coach Dorsey Tierney has also stressed her pleasure for Vaziri throughout the season.\n"She thrives in racing situations. We have made an effort to challenge her against the best competition, and she has responded with some strong performances," said Tierney. "I'm excited to have four years with Leila because if she makes the choice, she could compete with just about anyone in the nation."\n-- Contact staff writer Chris Hopper at chopper@indiana.edu.