Tale of Mixed Fortunes as Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Compete Against Yale and Princeton

Last weekend, Harvard Swimming and Diving competed against Princeton and Yale in New Haven, Conn., at the Bulldogs’ Kiphuth Exhibition for the Ivy League dual meet title.

HARVARD MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Harvard Men’s Swimming and Diving defeated both Princeton and Yale, claiming the Ivy dual meet title. This victory marked the team’s fifth straight Ivy League dual meet title and its 30th in program history.

Prior to the meet, the men’s team had a record of 5-0 (6-1 Ivy), while the Tigers had a record of 7-1 (6-1 Ivy), and the Bulldogs, 4-4 (3-4 Ivy).

The Crimson cruised throughout the course of the weekend, defeating Yale, 248.5-104.5, and Princeton, 228-125. All in all, they totaled 19 NCAA B cut wins, nine pool records, 13 event wins, 10 second-place finishes, and six third-place showings. A NCAA B cut is a time classification for a swimmer, which is slower than the fastest classification of a NCAA A cut.

First-year Adam Wesson placed first at the 3-meter diving event with a score of 369.65, far above the NCAA average of 320.

“It was a great feeling knowing I made my family, teammates and coaches proud, but the best feeling was when the results were announced and I got to see all the smiles on their faces after they have been cheering for the team the whole morning,” Wesson said.

Sophomore Will Grant won the 200-yard backstroke, recording a season-best time of 1:42.56, which also set a new pool record. First-year Anthony Rincon followed in second place with an NCAA B cut time of 1:44.13 for a season-best as well.

Senior Mahlon Reihman captured the 100-yard freestyle with an NCAA B cut time of 43.60 for a pool record.

Senior Dean Farris placed first in the 100-yard butterfly with an NCAA B cut time of 46.30, setting a pool record and finishing nearly two seconds before junior Umitcan Gures, who placed second at46.33.

The Crimson also claimed first in the 200-yard medley relay with a pool record time of 1:25.26. The winning group consisted of senior Dean Farris, senior Raphael Marcouxl, junior Jared Simpson, and junior Umitcan Gures.

Harvard’s team of junior Ryan Linnihan, sophomore Marcus Holmquist, senior Mahlon Reihman, and senior Dean Farris ended the meet with a victory in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 2:52.76. .

Under Kevin Tyrell, the Ulen-Brooks Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Swimming & Diving since 2013, the team has recorded a 53-1 Ivy dual meet mark and tallied seven undefeated Ivy dual meet seasons.

With its dual meet title secured, the Crimson will next look to claim its 27th overall Ivy League championship, and its fifth straight, in Princeton, N.J., between Feb. 23 and Feb. 26.

HARVARD WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Harvard Women’s Swimming and Diving did not enjoy the same success as the men did. Before the meet, the Crimson had an undefeated record of (6-0, 5-0), but it fell to Princeton (8-1, 6-1 Ivy), 202-98, and Yale (9-0, 7-0 Ivy), 211-89.

Harvard recorded two wins during the meet. On the first day of the competition, senior Esther Lawrence won the 3-meter diving diving event. First-year Amy Wotovich, who recorded a score of 295.90, came in first, while senior Morgane Herculano came in second with her season best of 291.80.

Senior Felicia Pasadyn narrowly missed claiming another victory for the Crimson, coming in second in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:57.39, just 0.07 seconds out of first place. She also placed second in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:02.15.

Junior Samantha Shelton placed fifth with her season-best 50.59-second time in the 100-yard freestyle. Senior Helena Moreno placed seventh with a time of 5:00.62 in the 500-yard freestyle. In the 200-yard breaststroke, sophomore Victoria Eisenhauer came in eighth with a time of 2:24.33. First-year Molly Hamlin placed ninth in the 100-yard butterfly in 56.22.

To finish off the meet, the Crimson’s team of first-year Mandy Brenner, sophomore Addie Rose Bullock, junior Samantha Shelton, and junior Darlene Fung came in fourth in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Despite the setback, Harvard will look ahead to the Ivy League Championships, which will take place between Feb. 16 and Feb. 19 at Blodgett Pool. The Crimson will be looking for its 13th conference title.

-Staff writer Derek Hu can be reached at derek.hu@thecrimson.com.