The women's swimming and diving team has a history of excellence. Last year was the first in the past five that the Tigers failed to claim the Ivy League title, narrowly losing to Harvard. In hopes of reclaiming the coveted title, Princeton has adopted a new mantra: "get tough."
So far, the Tigers are doing precisely that. The training regimen — over 20 hours per week — is intense, to say the least. With double sessions over Fall Break, the swimmers have been keeping a truly grueling schedule.
"This is a part-time job," head coach Susan Teeter said. "There is no room for error."
The 2005-2006 season will be a transition year for Princeton. Following the graduation of Stephanie Hsiao '05, the Tigers must look to their newest captains for leadership. Hsiao was the Swimmer of the Meet at the 2005 Ivy Championships and made a strong showing at last year's national meet in Georgia and she will surely be missed this year. Fortunately, the two new captains, senior Whitney Ryan and junior Emma Tapscott are picking up the slack and leading the women on their "get tough" campaign.
"We are still in a rebuilding phase," Teeter said. "We're just hoping to stay healthy."
Princeton faced an onslaught of unfortunate injuries last year, from broken bones to mononucleosis. With the team at full capacity, the Tigers may be the team to beat once more.
But it is still too early to make bold predictions.
Princeton is hoping to build on the individual successes of several swimmers from last season. Brett Shiflett, a sophomore freestyle and butterfly swimmer, is an exciting prospect and a Tiger to watch. She won the 200-yard freestyle last year as a freshman and has been training well this preseason. Shiflett will be a top contender for the Ivy League championship this year.
Junior Kelly Hannigan is also expected to be a major contributor to the Princeton squad this year. After taking second in the 400 individual medley last year, she made the senior nationals for the first time this past summer. With an additional spark of renewed enthusiasm, Hannigan will be a tough competitor this year. With the contributions of these Tigers and others, the team can continue to strengthen and compete fiercely with their opponents.
This year's recruits are a strong group as well, and they will provide an additional edge to the Princeton squad.
Harvard is this year's preseason favorite, however, as the Crimson seek to defend its Ivy League title.
"Harvard is just tough," Teeter said. "They clearly have an advantage."
Teeter described last year's championship meet duel with Harvard as a tight, intense battle.
"From a spectator standpoint, I heard people say they thought Princeton was winning," Teeter said. "We got everything done we could, and there just weren't enough points on the board to win."
And thus, the "get tough" campaign was born. This year, the Tigers will need to focus on the smallest of details if they want to overcome the Crimson and other formidable opponents. The mental game may prove to be just as important as the swimmers' physical condition.
In addition to the swimmers, the team includes a core of divers, too. Under the direction of head coach Greg Gunn, the divers are also expected to do well this season.
The diving group will look to senior Kathryn Fiorella and junior Michelle DeMond for leadership and consistent performances, as they have some of the most experience on the squad. The divers may make the difference in close meets this season, as they will be playing a pivotal role.
Last season, as a freshman, Charlotte Jones gave the Tigers a huge boost in numerous meets. She also turned in several solid individual performances, qualifying for NCAA Zonals.
Princeton will kick off its season with the Big Al Invitational this weekend at DeNunzio Pool, hosting a meet against Rider and NYU in honor of the late Alan Ebersole '07.
The highly anticipated meet against Harvard will occur in Cambridge, Mass., on Feb. 4.
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