'Last chance' to make NCAA meet

The IU women's swimming and diving team takes to the water again this weekend in the IU "Last Chance" Invitational in the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center at the SRSC. \nThe Hoosiers host Ohio State, Illinois and the University of Indianapolis in the last meet before the NCAA Championships. For the Hoosiers, the "Last Chance" meet is a great way to show their skills before their trek to the NCAA titles.\nThe team is coming off of a third place performance at the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis last weekend.\nThe "Last Chance" Invitational is not a traditional competitive swimming meet, however, but just a time trial meet, or a way for swimmers not yet qualified for the NCAA's to boost their times in order to make the NCAA cut and represent the Hoosiers on the national level. \nJunior Erin Smith recognizes the importance of the meet. \n"Even for those who don't think they can make it to the NCAA's, the meet is good to improve the times they swam in the Big Ten Championships," Smith said.\nSenior Sarah Fiden also conveyed the importance of the meet. \n"Time trial meets like this one really allow the team to regroup and pull together and allow some of the girls to get to where they need to be to make the NCAA cut," she said.\nThose looking to improve their times are hoping to make specific NCAA cut times for each race. The times are determined for each race and then classified for either A, B, C, D or E qualifying times. Each group has their NCAA Championship preliminary areas in different places. The NCAA Zone C Diving Championships are held in Bloomington. \nWhile the girls compete for NCAA entrance times, they also know that the most important thing is team improvement. Since the "Last Chance" meet is only a time trial meet, team competition is eliminated, but team spirit thrives.\n"We all get really into the meet, and get excited for the other girls to swim fast times. It's kind of a fun, stress-free meet for everyone to boost their times," Smith said.\nThe "Last Chance" meet kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center at the SRSC. \n-- Contact staff writer Eamonn Brennan at eabrenna@indiana.edu.