IU swim club takes on Purdue for second annual "Water Bucket"

With only an intrasquad meet under their belt, the IU swim club is set to take on its first true opponent of the season in the second annual “Water Bucket” meet against Purdue Saturday at the IU Natatorium on the campus of IU-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Structured in a typical dual meet format, the meet allows the IU and Purdue swim clubs to square off head-to-head.

IU squeaked out a narrow victory last year, beating Purdue in the last few events, said senior Tony Perry, president of the IU swim club.

However, he said he feels confident and poised for a repeat victory.

Perry said the team has looked solid to this point, especially senior Colin Hoffman and sophomore Hunter Hoffman, brothers from Highland High School in Anderson, Ind., who have shined in workouts and the intrasquad meet.

“They are fast, really fast,” Perry said.

Perry said he wants to use the “Water Bucket” as both a measuring stick and an opportunity to appeal to high school swimmers. The swim club invited a handful of high schools from the Indianapolis area to come watch the meet, including Hamilton Southeastern, Zionsville, Ind., Fishers, Ind. and Noblesville, Ind.

“We’re using this meet to show high school students there’s a way to continue to compete after high school other than at the varsity level,” Perry said.

Sophomore Natalie Schumann, who will be competing in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard freestyle on Saturday, said the location makes the meet even more exciting. With a seating capacity of 4,700 people, the IU Natatorium  is the largest indoor pool in the United States.

“It definitely ups the stakes a little bit,” Schumann said.