Record number of swimmers headed to NCAAs

After one of the fastest Ivy League championships in the history of the women’s swimming and diving program, the No. 18 Princeton team qualified a record number of swimmers for NCAAs. Seniors Lisa Hamming, juniors Justina Di Fazio, Monika Friedman and Brett Shiflett, sophomores Courtney Kilkuts and Alicia Aemisegger, and freshman Meredith Monroe will represent the Tigers on the big stage March 20-22 at NCAAs, which will be held at The Ohio State University.

The previous high was set in 1983, when Princeton sent four as part of a 400-yard freestyle relay. This year, five swimmers automatically qualified for nationals with “A” cuts, meaning that they are among the 32 fastest swimmers in Division I swimming. Additionally, the 800-yard freestyle relay team composed of Aemisegger, DiFazio, Monroe and Shiflett qualified for NCAAs as the 13th-ranked team in the nation.

“Everyone is really excited, and it’s great that a non-scholarship school is sending so many to NCAAs,” Hamming said. “A lot of us never even dreamed of making NCAAs as a freshman, but after seeing our teammates succeed throughout the year, it definitely made it possible.”

Along with the seven, the Tigers also have a chance to send one more through the diving team, with junior Katie Giarra leading the way after placing second in both the one-meter and three-meter events at Ivies.

With only two weeks until the competition begins, these Princeton swimmers have a true shot at making history as they have a chance to claim the Tigers’ first individual NCAA championship.

On the heels of a very successful regular season, the fencing team’s senior epeeist Tommi Hurme, freshman epeeist Graham Wicas, sophomore foil Clayton Flanders, freshman sabre John Stogin, junior epee standout Jasjit Bhinder and freshman sabre Lyuba Docheva were all given bids.

The six fencers will also be joined by several alternates, who will attend in case of an injury to one of the qualified fencers. The male epee alternates are freshman Nate Sulat and sophomore Edward Hurme, while freshman Mina Zargham will be the female foil alternate, and sophomore Chandler Clay will be the female epee alternate.

The fencing team has been dominated by talented freshmen this year. Wicas and Stogin have consistently performed at the top of every meet, often beating older competition. Docheva has recently climbed her way up, adjusting to the style of college fencing, and has now made her mark as a player to watch. Not to be outdone, veterans Tommi Hurme and Bhinder have also been outstanding, with Hurme winning the Mid-Atlantic/South Regional tournament and Bhinder taking first at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championship meet.