Women’s swimming and diving looks to shed rust

After a 1-4 start to the season and a 42-day layoff since his team’s last dual meet, IU coach Ray Looze has a right to be concerned about a rusty performance this week.\nLooze, however, is taking a different stance. He is confident the women’s swimming team has improved over break and is well-prepared for this weekend’s Notre Dame Invitational.\n“You’d think we might be rusty, but I think we’re going to come out very fired up,” he said. “We went through a nice long stretch of meets (before break) and now we’re really excited about competition.”\nThe women will swim against Illinois, Michigan and Notre Dame at Notre Dame’s Rolfs Aquatic Center. The meet begins at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon and will continue through Saturday.\nSince its last meet on Nov. 30, a 163-134 loss to Kentucky, the team began to refocus its energy toward the second half of the season. The swimmers spent a week in San Juan, Puerto Rico, over winter break, doing two-a-days almost every day.\nSenior captain Christie Fuchs felt the week away helped the team grow closer together while staying in top shape for competition.\n“We did a lot of team bonding while we were in Puerto Rico,” she said. “I think our chemistry is a lot better than it was back then and I think it will really show in our ability to rely on each other and cheer for each other.”\nThe team also had some roster adjustments. Sophomore backstroke and butterfly swimmer Kate Zubkova, a transfer student who did not have enough credits last semester, will be able to participate in her first meet this weekend.\n“We’re excited to see what she can do in live competition,” Looze said.\nSophomores Ashley Jones (knee surgery) and Brittany Barwegen (mononucleosis), meanwhile, were placed on medical redshirt for the season. \nOne goal for the swimmers this weekend is to improve on its last performance against No. 13-ranked Michigan, a 207-163 loss in early November.\n“Michigan came down here this year in November and handed it to us pretty good,” Looze said. “I’d like to see us turn those tables. We’re not as deep as I would like, but we do have some very good, quality people on the top end. We’re going to be a little bit stronger.” \nFuchs said it will be hard to compare this weekend’s meet with the dual meet, because she feels the team has greatly improved since the loss.\n“It’s a different point in the season and I think we have grown a lot as a team since the last time we swam them, so I think we will be prepared,” \nshe said.\nThe team also will use this meet to see how well it might fare in the Big Ten. Competing against two conference teams, Michigan and Illinois, the defending Big Ten champion Hoosiers view this meet as a testament to how well-prepared they will be for the conference meet in February.\n“This is the beginning of the championship season for them so this is a bit of a statement meet,” Looze said.\nThe divers, like the rest of the team, are young but improving. Head diving coach Jeff Huber is especially excited about the improvement he sees in his freshmen divers and what they might add to the rest of his squad.\n“We’ve got two freshmen who have finally stepped up and did what they need to do with Christina Kouklakis and Heidi Mahnken, so I’m looking forward to this weekend,” he said.