W. Swimming Topples Ivy Foes

The Harvard women’s swimming and diving team began the season on a high note by routing perennial Ivy bottom dwellars Cornell and Dartmouth in a Saturday tri-meet.

Crimson swimmers dominated the waters, winning 13 of the 16 events, defeating the Big Red 208-89 and trouncing the Big Green 217-80.

In head-to-head competition, Cornell (1-1, 1-1) edged out Dartmouth (0-2, 0-2) 157-141.

Harvard (2-0, 2-0 Ivy) staked out a large early lead, sweeping the top three positions in four of the first six races and finishing first and second in the other two.

It was not until the ninth event, the 100-yard freestyle—midway through the competition—that Crimson swimmers fell from the top spots.

“It definitely helps to get the season going,” sophomore Molly Brethauer said. “But you need to take into consideration who we are swimming against.”

The only events the Crimson swimmers failed to win were the 100 free, the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard individual medley, but these were mere hiccoughs in an otherwise blemish-free performance.

Freshman Jane Evans led the way for Harvard, winning both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, swimming the second leg for the Crimson’s victorious 400-yard freestyle relay and the breaststroke leg for the foursome in the 200-yard medley relay.

After the medley relay finished second, Evans began her string of three straight victories by winning the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:06.56, just ahead of co-captain Rachael O’Beirne (1:07.05).

Showcasing her endurance, Evans triumphed in her third race of the day, taking the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:22.16, nearly three seconds ahead of co-captain Jane Humphries (2:25.15), who took second, and more than five seconds ahead of the third-place finisher.

Trading in breaststroke for freestyle, Evans, with junior Erica DeBenedetto and freshmen Jen Thompson and Erin Mulkey, combined to win the 400-yard free relay in 3:38.50.

Mulkey turned in a strong performance as well. In addition to the freestyle relay, she won the 50-yard freestyle in 24.29 and took second in the medley relay along with Evans.

“I was very excited for [the meet] because it was my first college tournament,” Mulkey said. “I think, as an individual, I always want to do well at the first meet to set a good tone for the season.”

Evans and Mulkey were not the only Crimson swimmers to win multiple races.

Senior Vicki Chang ran away with the 1000-yard freestyle, posting a time of 10:18.99, nearly nine seconds faster than the rest of the field.

Chang also was victorious in the 200-yard butterfly, winning in a time of 2:07.91.

Sophomore Molly Ward was twice-a-winner as well, teaming with DeBenedetto, sophomore Ali Bates and senior Anna Fraser to take the medley relay in 1:47.14.

Additionally, Ward captured the 200-yard freestyle in 1:54.99, edging out freshman teammate Elizabeth White by 1.16 seconds.

The Crimson excelled not only in the lanes, but also on the boards as well.

Junior Renee Paradise and sophomore Anne Osmun finished one-two in both the one- and three-meter diving contests, with Paradise placing first in each.

While the duo distanced itself from the opposition in the one-meter, the tandem blew the competition out of the water in the three-meter, with Paradise winning by 13.80 points over Osmun, who finished 40.35 points ahead of the third-best diver on the day.

The Crimson looks to maintain the early-season momentum as it takes to the water in Providence this Friday against Brown, one of two teams which bested Harvard in the Ivy Championships last year.

“As long as we perform the way we did yesterday I think we’ll give them a run for their money,” Mulkey said.