This Friday and Saturday the women’s swimming and diving team will return to Denunzio Pool for days two and three of the annual Ivy League Championships. The Tigers started the meet on an auspicious note with strong performances across the board. Nine of the 10 swimmers competing for Princeton went on to represent the school in either the A or B finals.
The three-day tournament, which started yesterday, will pit the Princeton squad against some of their toughest rivals, including Yale, which won the HYP meet earlier in the season. Indeed, the Tigers’ sole Ivy League loss this season came at the hands of the Bulldogs. The win also placed the Bulldogs as the favorites to win the Ivy League Championship this weekend. However, this weekend, all eyes will be trained on the Bulldogs, and Princeton will undoubtedly be ready to rise up against them.
Still, the Tigers still have plenty to be confident in as they head into their races this Friday and Saturday. Indeed, Princeton has shown its dominance consistently throughout the season, handily beating many of their fellow Ivy competitors. The squad also picked up the 2015 Big Al Title along the way.
In addition, the Tigers also have some history on their side. Princeton has won 22 Ivy League Championships in total. In fact, either Harvard or Princeton has won the Ivy League Title every year since 2000; in that time, the Crimson picked up four titles, while Princeton earned 12.
Since the 2000s, the Ivy League has undoubtedly become faster and more competitive as a whole. This is further demonstrated as Yale looks to break the Harvard-Princeton duopoly that has formed in recent years. However, the Tigers have faced tougher odds before and have still come out victorious.
In fact, just last year, the Princeton team took home the title with an undeniably remarkable comeback. With six events left, the Tigers were faced with a daunting 92-point deficit. But keeping their cool, the Princeton squad showed their strength and depth when it mattered the most.
The turning point came in the 100m freestyle. Princeton qualified four swimmers in finals during prelims. A series of strong performances shrank the deficit to just 11 points. However, not until the final events did Princeton take control of the situation. Heading into the final 400m freestyle relay, the Tigers held an 11.5 point lead, which took some pressure off their relay team. But rather than rest on their cushion, the Tigers decided to end the season on a high note. Princeton claimed their 22nd Ivy League Title with a record-breaking time of 3:18.25.
This title race, the Tigers will also be receiving help from new recruits in the class of 2019. While Princeton graduated five seniors since last year, the team has picked up 10 new swimmers and divers this season. The new swimmers will bring new firepower and depth to an already strong Princeton roster.
The meet continues today and tomorrow with prelims at 11:00 a.m. and finals starting at 6 p.m. If history is any indication, this will be an exciting and memorable end to Ivy League competition.
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