Senior diver Cardinell grabs 1st NCAA title

WEST LAFAYETTE -- Only eight IU swimmers and divers went to the 2005 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships during the weekend, but the team's motto, "small but mighty," proved to be true. The team overcame all odds as it finished ninth, the best placing IU has had in history, led by national champion diver Cassandra Cardinell.\n"This just goes to prove that every year in this business is different and every year brings with it a surprise," said IU coach Dorsey Tierney. "It was a tough year for our swimmers, but we ended up accomplishing the goal we set out each year for the NCAA meet and that is to finish in the top ten."\nIn addition to capturing its best placing at NCAA Championships, IU won its first individual national title since 1996 with senior Cardinell's platform crown. The 2004 Olympian came into the final night of competition in second place in the platform, but she overcame to earn the top spot.\n"A great diver can overcome a bad dive," Cardinell said. "I just refocused and knew that I had the set of dives to come back. I am a bit sad with being done with my career here at IU, but I will still be around and am feeling good right now."\nIn the one-meter and three-meter diving events, Cardinell did not make it into the finals, but freshman Christina Loukas and junior Lisa Silvestri kept IU in the running to capture another crown. The one-meter competition ended with Silvestri taking eighth and Loukas taking seventh. In the finals of the three-meter event, Loukas finished with a score 542.70 and placing fifth. \n"Christina really hung tough," said IU diving coach Jeff Huber, who earned his third National Coach of the Year honors. "She is capable of diving greater in the future, but she did well today. It is tough coming in being the Big Ten Diver of the Year and she stepped up."\nSophomore Leila Vaziri was IU's shot at winning its first-ever swimming NCAA title as she entered the second day of finals looking to capture the 100-yard backstroke title. In the finals Vaziri came up short, placing seventh with a time of 54.12. \n"I was not as nervous tonight," Vaziri said. "I made it to finals, and eighth place was the worst I could do. I need more practice racing at this level. I had better technique and motion than this morning. I just wasn't going hard enough."\nAt the end of the 2005 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, the University of Georgia came out on top, ending Auburn's winning streak of three-straight titles with a score of 609.5. Auburn was the runner-up with 492 points. Though IU did not take home the NCAA Championship crown, the team captured its first individual crown since 1996, put up a new top finish at the NCAAs in school history, and everyone on the team earned All-American honors. Two IU swimmers, senior Erin Smith and Vaziri, earned their 10th and 13th All-American honors. IU also won bragging rights for next year as it was the top finisher of all the Big Ten schools. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Doug Klausen at dklausen@indiana.edu.