The following is the eighth in a summer long series, featuring all 14 IUPUI varsity teams. New features will be posted each Wednesday at noon on IUPUIJags.com. The full summer schedule is posted at the bottom of this story.
Over the past few seasons, members of the IUPUI women’s swimming and diving program have experienced a great deal of success individually, but the success at the team level has failed to reach the level of individual accomplishments. Two seasons ago, senior-to-be
Chen Ni made history becoming the first IUPUI athlete to win a National Championship claiming the title in the platform dive. This past season, numerous school records were broken at the Summit League Championships only to have the team finish in sixth place.
With athletes such as Ni, 2010-11 all-conference performer
Elizabeth Bourgeois, and
Lindsey Hurst just to name a few, IUPUI has several standout performers capable of securing a large sum of points this season. Nevertheless, having those all-conference caliber athletes set the tone and lead their teammates will ultimately determine the strides taken in year one under head coach
Matt Bos.
“We’ve got some people in some key areas that we can build upon,” Bos said. “Chen [Ni] obviously is a senior, but what she has done in the past and what she is capable of doing is definitely something that can help elevate our program. Having someone of her caliber that has won a National Championship is pretty nice to have and that helps build a reputation and put us on the national scene.
“Additionally, we have some swimmers in some key spots as well such as Lizzie [Bourgeois] who is near the top of the Summit League in multiple events, and Lindsey Hurst had a great year last season and she is someone who I can see is getting a lot faster and can have a big impact for us in so many different areas.”
While Ni, Bourgeois, and Hurst will be looked upon by Bos and their teammates to score points, those three all know that to improve in the Summit League standings they will to set the example for this youthful squad.
“Balancing being a leader with performing at a high level comes through constantly leading by example,” Bourgeois said. “I strive to make every practice like a competition constantly challenging my teammates in the water with me to work harder, stay positive, and embrace the opportunity we have to represent IUPUI in the Summit League.”
“Last year was a rough year for me adapting to college life and I did not always handle every situation thrown at me the right way,” Hurst added. “My teammates are the people who helped me last year to get through those tough times. I think for me being a leader means being an example. I just want to be someone they can come to when they are struggling and a teammate they can count on as having a good attitude even when practice is hard.”
The leadership provided from IUPUI’s key returners will no doubt be vital in the team’s development, but how fast the returning letterwinners and newcomers adjust to Bos training methods will also be crucial in the team’s development.
However, the early signs point to the team buying in to Bos’ coaching style and patterning his desire to put IUPUI swimming and diving on the map.
“Matt makes me do fewer yards, and that's why I love him,” Hurst joked before saying, “he puts a lot of effort into making every yard count and really helping us with our technique. He is also very encouraging, yet down to business that the same time.”
“Although there are many things that have impressed me about Matt and his coaching, his dedication to swimming along with his positive outlook and coaching experience have impressed me the most,” Bourgeois proclaimed. “Matt has already started working on improving the program and is dedicated to making this program stronger than ever before. His experience and attitude towards swimming are inspiring and will give us a step up on our competition as we set our sights on moving up in the Summit League.”
Leadership and training aside, the bottom line for the upcoming edition of the IUPUI women’s swimming and diving team will come down to having people step up in crucial moments.
“We’ve got talent but yet we still have holes so we are going to need people to step outside of their comfort zone and step up in big spots,” Bos said.
With so many newcomers set to join the roster, Bos highlighted a few incoming freshmen that he feels can make an immediate impact.
“We have Margaret Barber coming in who was the state champion in Iowa in the 500 freestyle and has a sprint background. Over the couple years she moved into some distance events and really has kind of taken off so I’m excited for her potential,” Bos said.
“Alexus Laird, Peyton Zehner, and Jenny Oleksiak all have backgrounds in multiple events including sprint freestyle,” Bos said. “These ladies have the ability to challenge for relay spots and compete in other events giving us some versatility which can really help us across the board.”
IUPUI’s diving consisted of Ni the past two seasons, but there will be more divers in the fold this season. With the newcomers in the fold, they have the opportunity to truly improve every day and learn from a National Champion.
“For the new divers, I believe they have a lot space to challenge themselves and improve their performing level by each day,” Ni said. “I have been told since I was little that you can’t be perfect, only better. Thus, hard work will always allow me to keep getting better. To do better in competition is not only my personal goal by a goal for our team.”
Bourgeois went on to say, “we have some incredible swimmers coming in this season that will immediately strengthen our relays and provide us with depth. It is so exciting to see the potential this team has as we move into the season.”
With the return of Bourgeois, Hurst, and Ni, and the arrival of a plethora of talented newcomers and a passionate head coach, the 2011-12 IUPUI women’s swimming and diving campaign is filled with optimism. When fans show up to the IU Natatorium and other venues where the Jaguars will compete, there is no doubt they will witness new school records fall and impressive individual accomplishments.
