Hoosiers upset, break streak against rival Michigan at home

Moments after the Michigan women’s swim team handed IU a loss on Oct. 30, 2010, junior Allysa Vavra made a bold prediction.

“We are not going to lose to them again,” Vavra said. “I guarantee that. We will not ever do this again.”

She was right.

Vavra, who won the 200-yard individual medley and the 200-yard breaststroke, led the IU women in a 157-127 win against Michigan on Saturday at Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The IU men’s team also won 163-137.

Although the victory delivered on a guarantee for the IU women, it was historic for the men.

The last time the Hoosiers’ men squad beat the 8th-ranked Wolverines was in the 1998-99 season. In addition to snapping the 11-year skid against
Michigan, IU was also the first Big Ten team to knock off Michigan in conference play since 2007.

“I think both teams were very, very confident coming into this meet,” IU head coach Ray Looze said. “But the women just knew that they were going to win, whereas the men were determined to win.”

Junior Margaux Farrell joined Vavra with victories in the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle.

On the men’s side, senior Titus Knight took home individual victories in the 100-yard freestyle and the 200-yard freestyle and a relay victory in the 400-yard
freestyle.

Looze said he was impressed with the way the teams won with honor and “kept it in perspective.” He said the squad maintained its composure, knowing that the most important victory is not in early January, but in late February at the Big Ten Championships.