Northwestern University Athletics
The 2000-01 Women's Swimming Preview
10/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Oct. 19, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - One of the things Northwestern women's swimming coach Jimmy Tierney tries to keep in focus every year is the team concept. For instance, check out the Northwestern Swimming Creed.
There it is, right at the end: "WE ARE A TEAM!"
However, the last few years have been heady ones at Northwestern, and a lot of that has to do with some standout individuals. Amy Balcerzak earned 20 All-America honors and four Big Ten titles as a breaststroke maven, Courtney Allen was runner-up twice in the 50 freestyle and earned 16 All-America certificates, and Dominique Diezi was a reliable relay member for four years and gained All-America 17 times.
All of them are gone, along with five other swimmers who graduated with distinction. Tierney will be the first to tell you the cupboard is hardly bare for the Cats -- two Big Ten champions return, as do four women who earned All-America last year. However, a young team will put the emphasis on team over individual in 2000-01.
"I think it will be more of a team effort this year, and that will be our focus from the start," said Tierney. "We've always tried to instill that into our athletes, but the last few years we've been able to ride the coattails of some outstanding individuals.
"This year, though, I think we can do some great stuff as a team. We have a new energy, which will make things fun. It is a new era."
Eight newcomers join the team, all of them coming in with tremendous potential. And as Tierney is quick to point out, the influx of new talent, teaming with a quality corps of returnees, will make the Wildcats strong in some areas that have been dormant in recent years.
"We are going to win dual meets and find our success in much different ways this year," said Tierney. "The freshmen, especially, have the chance to be just as successful as the class that just graduated, but they will do it in different events."
After relying on the sprint events and the shorter relays the last few years, Tierney -- who places a premium on the relays -- thinks that this year's team will specialize in the distance stroke, and relay events.
"Our medley relays figure to be very good, because we have some talent coming back," he said. "It may take time to develop them and find the right combinations, but there is the potential to be very strong.
"In the freestyle relays, we could be strongest in the 800, which would be the first time that has happened in several years. I see lots of competition to be on the 200 and 400 free relays, so we'll still be good. But we obviously lost some real firepower there, so it may take time to develop them."
A quick look down the event chart still brings a gleam to Tierney's eye, though. Remember, the cupboard is hardly bare.
The backstroke will be one of Northwestern's strengths, as two-time Big Ten champion Tashy Bohm, a senior, is joined by sophomore Susie Sample. Tierney's "dynamic duo" both earned All-American last year and will be counted on heavily this winter.
In the butterfly, junior Merritt Adams is the defending Big Ten champ in the 200. She will be a featured swimmer this year for the Wildcats, along with sophomore Rachel Johnson. Freshman Erin Swenson will provide depth.
The loss of Balcerzak deals a serious blow to the breaststroke event, but Tierney has high hopes that freshman Katie Simmons can pick up where Balcerzak left off. She will be joined by junior Kaisa Greenberg and freshman Ashley Wagner, who is making a comeback to the event after a long layoff. Wagner was a top-rated swimmer nationally before her self-imposed break two years ago, and Tierney feels she could surprise some people down the road. Krista Puttler will add depth in the breast events.
After several years of gaining points in the sprint freestyle events -- primarily due to swimmers like Allen, Diezi, and Allyson Bowman -- Tierney looks at his roster and sees a sudden abundance of talent in the distance events.
"In the 500 and the mile, we could have as many as four people making noise," he said. "Teams are going to be coming to us to see if they can borrow from our distance group."
The caveat to all this is that the depth is young. Freshmen Erica Rose -- a former world open-water champion at 5,000 meters -- Vicky West, Nicole Bernard and Stephanie Cranston will be the corps swimming the two longest events on the itinerary.
In the sprint events, Lauren Moore is an All-American entering her junior year. She will be joined by newcomer Maria Reeves. In the mid-distance events, look for Swenson, Sample, West, Bernard and Megan Keefe to battle for points.
"We have a lot of talent in the free events," said Tierney. "The key is to find the right distances for each person to maximize our points as a team."
Among the IM events, Tierney feels the `Cats are loaded at the 400 with Johnson, Simmons, Rose, West, Cranston and Adrian Talcott.
"We have more depth there than we've ever had," he said.
In the 200 IM, Adams and Johnson will look to have another stellar year.
In the diving events, new coach Tom Michael will work with returnees Taylor Lynch, Kristin Ward, Whitney Winters and transfer Christy Michalak. Angela Unkrich, who redshirted last year, will join this group.
Has Northwestern swimming reached the point where they don't rebuild, they reload? Maybe.
"I have no idea where we could be, team-wise, in the Big Ten or at nationals," said Tierney. "Our goal is to hit more events this year and qualify more people for those meets. We'll definitely have more scorers this year, but where they score will ultimately determine the success of this group."
