BRIEF: Women's Swimming and Diving Preps for Ivies in Ohio

A week before the Ivy League Championships, a contingent of Harvard swimmers competed at the Ohio State Winter Invite this weekend, earning 11 top-three finishes against local Ohio teams including Toledo, Purdue, and Ball State.

The Crimson (7-1-1, 6-0-1 Ivy) was led by sophomore Maggie Chory, who put up Harvard’s only individual first place finishes of the weekend, topping the podium three times.  Chory’s 55.84 time gave her the victory in the 100 backstroke. She won the 200 back as well with a time of 2:00.17.

Chory also swam alongside sophomore Summer Schmitt, senior Sarah Sumner, and junior Marlee Ehrlich to earn gold in the 200 freestyle relay.  The same relay team swam to third place in the 400 free relay.

Schmitt’s success went beyond her relay finishes. The sophomore put up another top-three finish in the 100 butterfly. In addition, her 2:04.84 time in the 200 fly gave her fourth place, and she took fifth in the 200 back.

Ehrlich delivered individually as well, holding down the Crimson’s distance team. Finishing in 5:00.57, Ehrilch took second in the 500 free. Her 17:03.96 time was good for second in the 1650 free, while junior Daniela Suarez-Rebling took fourth in the same event.

More strong performances came from junior Shori Hijikata, who finished second and third in the 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley, respectively. She also took fourth in the 100 fly, behind Chory and Schmitt.

The lone senior representing Harvard did not disappoint either. Sumner took two top-three finishes individually, placing third in both the 100 and 200 free. Her 200 free time of 1:57.47 put her almost two seconds ahead of the fourth place finisher.

Sophomore Savannah Butler took care of the breaststroke events, taking third in the 100 breast and fourth in the 200 breast.

The seven Crimson swimmers returned to Cambridge Sunday, ready to join the team as it prepares for Ivies.

—Staff writer Isabel DeLaura can be reached at idelaura@college.harvard.edu.