It wasn’t the performance Coach Ray Looze wanted.
The sixth-ranked IU swim and dive team struggled in Austin facing No. 4 Texas and No. 19 Florida. IU lost to Texas 201-147, and to Florida 198-155. With the two losses, IU dropped to 2-2-1 on the season.
“We are a better team than we showed,” Looze said.
The meet began Friday night, and the Hoosiers, as they have time and time again, used the relays to get off to a hot start. In the 400-yard medley relay, IU’s team of freshman Morgan Scott, senior Lilly King, senior Christine Jensen and junior Shelby Koontz swam a time of 3:36.59 to win the event, which was the fourth fastest time in the nation this season.
But the relay win was just one of few bright spots Friday night.
Outside of the relay, IU only had one other event Friday night where a swimmer finished in the top three – the 100-yard breaststroke. King won the event with a time of 59.46, which goes down as the fastest time of the year. Freshman Noelle Peplowski was third in the 100-yard breaststroke.
IU also lost points Friday night as the 200-yard freestyle relay team was disqualified. Jensen, who swam the second leg, took off from the start too early. The Hoosiers finished second but didn’t get the points because of the disqualification.
The Hoosier rebounded Saturday morning with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay to start the day. The team of Scott, Jensen, King and freshman Ileah Doctor swam a time of 1:39.35 to win.
IU did do slightly better Saturday, as the team tried to make a comeback, more so against Florida than Texas. Though IU still didn’t perform like the team was expected to by Looze. IU had a top-three finish in just five events Saturday. Out of 19 events, IU only had seven top three finishes.
Looze said Florida swam significantly better than anyone would have predicted, and Texas did what he thought they would do. Looze said he believed Florida was a beatable opponent, but his team cost itself the chance to earn a win.
“We gave the meet away,” Looze said.
Despite not performing as well as expected, four women did hit NCAA B-cuts – senior Bailey Andison in the 400-yard individual medlay, Jensen in the 100-yard butterfly, King in the 200-yard breaststroke and Peplowski in the 200-yard breaststroke as well.
In the time between this defeat and jumping in the pool for the next, Looze wants his team to work on its leadership.
“Leadership is difficult,” Looze said. “It’s nonstop.”
The Hoosiers have nearly three weeks off before their next meet, the Big Ten/ACC challenge at Purdue on Nov. 10.
