Hosts upstaged as women's swimming cruises to HYP win

Yale may have hosted the meet, but it was the Princeton women's swimming and diving team that continued to assert its dominance over the Ivy League at this weekend's Harvard-Yale-Princeton meet. The Tigers defeated the Elis 175-143 and the Crimson 190-127.

These victories extended the Tigers' dual meet streak to 30 straight wins, and upped their record this season to 7-0 (6-0 Ivy).

On paper, Harvard and Yale might have appeared to be formidable foes. Harvard entered the meet 5-1 (4-1 Ivy), and Yale was undefeated going in with a 10-0 record (4-0 Ivy).

But the Tigers — the only Ivy team to have been nationally ranked this season, as high as No. 23 in the College Swim Coaches Association poll — had no trouble handling either the Crimson or the Elis, despite a spirited hometown crowd and a pool decked out in blue and white banners. Yale redeemed itself by beating Harvard, 175-144.

Princeton got off to a strong start on Saturday night, winning the first four swimming events. Senior Kate Conroy, junior Molly Seto, junior Chrissy Holland and freshman Chrissy Macaulay took the 200-yard medley relay in one minute, 43.71 seconds. Senior Valeria Kukla won the 1000 freestyle (9:58.16) and 200 free (1:51.06), and Conroy contributed another win in the 100 backstroke (56.24). Later that evening, Macaulay grabbed a first-place finish in the 50 free (23.47).

On the boards, the Tigers got second-place points from two competitors: senior Danielle Stramandi in one-meter springboard, and freshman Maggie Littlefield in three-meter springboard.

Eight of Eleven

All told, when the first session came to a close, Princeton had taken first or second place in eight of the day's 11 events.

Entering Sunday's session, the Tigers led Harvard 106-63 and Yale 105-64. In order to clinch their fourth straight HYP title, they only had to maintain their comfortable lead over both opponents.

Princeton got off to another good start as Conroy took the 200 back (2:02.94). The Tigers also got wins from Kukla in the 500 free (4:55.75) and Seto in the 100 butterfly (56.08).

In the final tally, Princeton had eight first-place finishes out of 17 events, and had taken first, second or third place in 15 of 17.

In fact, the Tigers failed to place in only one event — the 100 free. They swam fast enough to place in the 400 free relay, but were swimming an exhibition race and therefore tallied no points.

The double wins at HYP's marked the team's second successful weekend in a row. They soundly outswam Dartmouth at home on Jan. 27, winning 152-118.

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In that meet, marked by unorthodox events such as the 25 freestyle and 50 breaststroke as well as some of the more traditional contests, the Tigers swept six of 17 events, took first and second in another two events, and collected points in two others. When they didn't place, it was usually because they had entered only exhibition swimmers.

Although the Dartmouth meet was not particularly eventful, it did hold sentimental value for the seniors on the team as the final home swim meet of their collegiate careers.

The Tigers now head into the home stretch of their season, next heading to Columbia Feb. 9 for their final dual meet.

With their undefeated record likely to remain intact when they face the Lions (5-4, 2-4 Ivy), Princeton should have plenty of momentum going into the Ivy championships.