Kentucky vs. Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana. October 18. THE Indiana women's swimming and diving season got off to a fast start as the Hoosiers cruised to a 164-121 dual meet victory over Kentucky at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center.

The meet began with the women's 200-medley relay where Kate Zubkova, Donna Smailis, Brittany Barwegen and Margaux Farrell cruised to victory in a time of 1:42.08 In the 1,000-yard freestyle, sophomore Amanda Smith opened up a large lead early and easily came home with a winning time of 10:07.96. That led a 1-2-3 sweep for the Hoosiers as Cassie Luhrsen (10:15.18) touched second and Amilee Smith (10:19.38) third.

Freshmen Nikki White and Brittney Strumbel went 1-2 in the 200 free with White clocking a time of 1:49.96, followed by Strumbel (1:51.83). Sophomore Ashley Jones made it a 1-2-3 Indiana finish with a time of 1:52.65. Freshman Courey Schaefer placed sixth (1:53.99).

2008 Olympian Zubkova had no problem with the competition in the 100 backstroke with a winning and NCAA B cut time of 54.74. Teammate Kristin Cihoski was second (56.82) and Kim Tracey fourth (58.49). Amy Harriman swam the exhibition race with a time of 58.24.

Sarah Stockwell (1:03.14) and Abby Cooper (1:04.23) went 1-2 in the 100-yard breaststroke, with Amilee Smith fifth (1:07.78).

On the three-meter springboard, sophomore Christina Kouklakis picked up her first career win with a score of 359.35. Junior Brittney Feldman was second (318.00), followed by senior Christina Loukas (275.00). Also competing for the Hoosiers were Amy Korthauer (5th- 238.05) and Heidi Mahnken (6th- 221.75). That gave Indiana a commanding 76-16 lead over Kentucky.

Barwegen won the 200 fly in a time of 2:00.12 and teammate Allison Kay touched third (2:02.99). She was followed by Amanda Smith in fourth (2:04.94), and Mariana Prutton sixth (2:07.24).

In an all-out sprint, Farrell took first in the 50 free with a time of 23.88. Stockwell was third 24.17, followed by Strumbel in fifth (24.30) and Schaefer sixth (24.63).

Smailis led a 1-2 finish for IU in the 100 free with a time of 51.36. She was followed by Farrell in 51.58, with Strumbel fourth (52.76).

Zubkova completed the sweep of the backstroke events with a time of 1:59.10, four seconds faster than the second-place finisher. Jones was third (2:03.31) and Tracey fourth (2:08.07). Caitlin Heyman's time of 2:11.65 was good for seven, and Harriman swam an exhibition time of 2:06.26.

Stockwell added a victory in the 200 breaststroke (2:18.81), with Cooper posting a time of 2:20.12. Amilee Smith finished the race in 2:20.02, and freshman Katelyn Ishee clocked a time of 2:25.85.

Loukas won the women's one-meter springboard with a score of 311.30, and Feldman finished third (298.70). Korthauer (4th- 255.55) and Kouklakis (5th- 251.60) rounded out the top five.

White won the 500 free in 4:53.12, with Amanda Smith touching in 4:54.42. Kay finished in 4:59.15, followed by Cassie Luhrsen (5:04.86). All times with the exception of White's were counted as exhibition swims.

Smailis was the top IU finisher in the 100 fly, placing second with a time of 55.17. Barwegen came home in 58.53, with Cihoski recording a 57.29 and Heyman posting a time of 59.94.

Zubkova was the leader of a 1-2-3 sweep in the 200-yard individual medley, finishing in 2:05.20. Cihoski touched in 2:06.66, followed by Jones in 2:07.73. Cihoski and Jones's times were not counted for scoring purposes.

The day ended with the 400-yard freestyle relay as Farrell, Smailis, White and Strumbel teamed up for a winning time of 3:28.97. The B squad of Cooper, Kay, Amanda Smith and Jones finished fourth (3:32.75).

The Indiana men's swimming and diving team's season is off to a quick start with a 189-108 win over the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday afternoon at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center.

"I told the team I was excited going into this meet because we are a bit of an unknown right now and Kentucky is a very good team," said head coach Ray Looze. "It was nice to see the young guys, and even some of the veterans, step up.

"It is a good first step, but we still have a long way to go."

The meet got off to an exciting start as the men's 200 medley relay was in a dead heat heading into the final 50 where Kentucky's Eric McGinnis out touched Ante Zoricic for first as the team of Doug Spraul, Tyler Lemert, Matt Lenton and Zoricic took second in 1:32.27.

It was a race between Eric Ress and Stefan Troxel for first in the 1,000-yard freestyle with the freshman Ress holding off the senior Troxel with a time of 9:26.31. Troxel touched second in 9:27.74, followed by Ryan Hinshaw in third (9:33.96) and Bart Ginocchio fourth (9:35.51).

It was a battle between teammates Titus Knight and Cody Weik in the 200 free with Knight first in a personal-best time of 1:37.69, followed by Weik in 1:39.07, also a personal best.

Doug Spraul was second in the 100 back (50.79), as freshman Jim Barbiere put up a third-place time of 51.75. Kevin Happ was fourth (52.42), while Mark Wetzel swam an exhibition time of 52.38, and Frazier Miller finishes his exhibition swim in a time of 51.53. The men had a 14-point lead over the Wildcats (44-30) through eight events.

Aaron Opell led the way in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 57.18, with teammate Tyler Lemert on his heels at 57.78. Justin Peterfish was fourth (58.59).

Sophomore Landon Marzullo got his season off on the right foot on the one-meter springboard with a score of 372.40, more than 70 points better than second-place finisher Justin Smith of Kentucky. Competing in his first dual meet, freshman Linus Altman-Kurosaki was third (288.65), followed by Robert Dohring (4th- 251.95) and Jonathan Dohring (5th- 244.10).

Weik took the title in the 200 fly (1:49.81), with freshman Tyler Shedron third (1:53.48). Fellow freshman Tony Mattar was fifth (1:55.60) and Tim Blue sixth (1:55.78).

Bryan Chovanec's career-best time of 20.11 in the 50 free was good for first, leading a 1-2-3 finish for the Hoosiers with Zoricic second (20.20) and Lenton third (20.30). Freshman Cameron Owen was eighth with a mark of 21.99.

Zoricic led Indiana's 1-2 finish in the 100 free, clocking in at 44.72 with Knight second in 45.19. Lenton placed fourth (45.88), and Owen seventh (47.67).

Ress won the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:48.96 as Spraul finished third (1:53.00) and Barbiere fourth (1:53.04). Happ's time of 1:55.45 placed him fifth, with Frazier Miller recording a time of 1:54.92 in his exhibition swim.

Opell completed a sweep of the breaststroke events with a winning time of 2:04.53, trailed by Justin Peterfish (2:09.47) and Tyler Lemert in fourth (2:12.62).

Marzullo swept the diving events in grand fashion with a pool-record score of 421.30 on the three-meter, nearly 100 point better than runner-up Linus Altman-Kurosaki (324.25). Robert Dohring was fourth (269.00) and Justin Dohring fifth (252.95). Marzullo's score was just off the school record of 423.39 set by Thomas Davidson in 2001.

Knight won the 500 free in 4:28.87, with Ress second (4:33.31). Troxel touched fourth (4:38.79), followed by John Schnittker in sixth (4:47.61).

Matthew O'Brien won the 100 fly with a career-best time of 50.17. He was followed by Owen in fourth (51.14), Shedron in fifth (52.44) and Spraul in sixth (52.72).

Opell took the 200-yard individual medley in 1:52.78, with Happ posting a time of 1:57.54. Tim Blue covered the course in 1:58.48, followed by Mattar in 1:59.60 and Brendan Butler in 1:59.93.

Special thanks to Indiana for contributing this report.

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