Women's Swimming and Diving Competes at US Olympic Trials

Though its season ended in mid-March, seven members of the Harvard women’s swimming and diving team continued their competitive training and qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Already having 18 members of the men’s team going to Omaha, Neb. June 26-Juy 3, the women’s contingent brought more Crimson hopefuls with dreams of representing their country in the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The women who qualified for trials made up a diverse group of swimmers, both in events competing in and age. The seven swimmers consisted of four returners to the Harvard squad, two incoming freshmen who will have their first look at collegiate swimming in the fall, and one member of the program’s alumni network. Junior Geordie Enoch along with sophomores Meaghen Popp, Brittany Usinger and Sonia Wang made up the Crimson returners appearing in trials, while incoming freshmen Miki Dahlke and Matti Harrison represented the younger swimmers to make the cut. Class of 2011 alum Katie Mills was the only graduate to represent Harvard after she spent her four years with the program and continued swimming following graduation, winning a silver medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games.

None of the Crimson women qualified for the Games, and Harvard sent no swimmers overall to Rio. Only the top two finishers in each event held at the Trials qualified for the U.S. Team.

At the meet Wang and Usinger both competed in the 200 Meter Butterfly. Wang tied for 71st place, finishing in 2:12.35, while Usinger finished 81st in the race with a time of 2:13.95. Wang raced three more times over the course of trials, competing in the 100 Meter Butterfly, the 200 Meter IM, and the 400 Meter IM. Her times were 1:00.27, 2:14.90, and 4:47.59, respectively.

Enoch’s sole event was the 200 Meter IM, and she finished the race in 2:22.66, landing her in 104th place among all competitors.

Mills also competed in four events: the 100 Meter Butterfly, 200 Butterfly, 200 Meter IM, and 400 Meter IM. Her best swim came in the 400 IM, where she finished seventh with a time of 4:41.05. She also made good times in the 200 Meter Butterfly, finishing in 2:08.89, while completing her 100 Butterfly in under one minute (59:59) and her 200 IM coming in at 2:15.55.

Dahlke’s two events in Trials were the 50 and 100 Freestyle, where she finished in 26.11 and 56.34, respectively. Harrison’s performance in the 100 Backstroke, her only event, landed her a 1:03.37.

–Staff writer Ariel Smolik-Valles can be reached at ariel.smolik-valles@thecrimson.com.