The Indiana University swimming and diving teams got the 2015-16 season off to a great start, as both teams came away with victories over Cincinnati on Thursday afternoon at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington, Indiana.
The Hoosier women won 186-105, while the Indiana men defeated the Bearcats, 157-135. On the women’s side, the team captured 13 swimming events and both diving events. For the men, the team totaled seven swimming victories, with a pair of diving wins.
Indiana got the meet started on a high note, as both the men and women began the meet with wins in the 200 medley relay. For the women, the team of Marie Chamberlain, Miranda Tucker, Gia Delasandro and Gabriela Rajic won in a time of 1:42.86. On the men’s side, the team of Bob Glover, Tanner Kurz, Oliver Patrouch and Ali Khalafalla touched in a time of 1:30.46.
In the 1000 freestyle, junior Stephanie Marchuk won in a time of 10:01.99, while freshman Adam Destrampe had a strong showing, placing second in 9:26.05.
Senior captain Haley Lips began her tremendous meet with a win in the 200 freestyle, timing in at 1:48.80. Lips had three individual victories in total on the day, also winning the 200 butterfly (2:00.14) and the 500 freestyle (4:55.74). On the men’s side, junior Max Irwin won the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:40.33.
In the 100 backstroke, sophomore Marie Chamberlain won it for the Hoosiers in a time of 55.24, while junior transfer Joseph Lane out of Navy won his first event for Indiana.
The Hoosiers also swept in the 100 breaststroke, with freshman Miranda Tucker winning for the women in a time of 1:03.74 and sophomore Blake Pieroni winning in 56.03. In the 50 freestyle, junior Sam Lorentz won in a time of 20.71. In the 200 breast, freshman Lilly King won in a time of 2:20.87.
For the divers, Indiana went 1-2 in all four events, with Lacey Houser and Joshua Arndt winning both the 1-meter and 3-meter for the Hoosiers. Houser scored a 268.35 in the 1-meter and a 319.70 in the 3-meter. Arndt totaled a 310.65 in the 1-meter and a 360.83 in the 3-meter.
Indiana swept the 100 freestyle as well on Thursday afternoon, with sophomore Kaitlyn Kitchens winning in 51.77 and Ali Khalafalla touching first in a time of 45.51.
In the 200 backstroke, Bailey Pressey won it for Indiana in a time of 2:01.44, while Ryan Gordon took first for the Hoosiers in 1:51.48.
On the women’s side, two more freshmen recorded wins in their first collegiate meets. Christine Jensen won the 100 butterfly in a time of 56.12, while Shelly Drozda captured the 400 IM in 4:24.56.
The Hoosiers ended the meet the same way they started it – by sweeping a relay. In the 400 freestyle relay, the team of Gia Dalesandro, Grace Vertigans, Haley Lips and Delaney Bernard won in a time of 3:30.06. For the men, the team of Blake Pieroni, Max Irwin, Sam Lorentz and Ali Khalafalla timed in at 3:00.37 for the win.
The Indiana swimming and diving teams will be back in action on October 16-17, when the Hoosiers will face Texas and Florida in Austin.
