Men's swimming & diving team claims Ivy League Championship

It was complete domination this weekend for the Princeton men’s swimming and diving team as they claimed their 30thIvy League championship. The Tigers came out of the gate hot in this one and never looked back, leading by over 100 points by just the end of the first day.

The victory this weekend is sweet revenge for the Tigers, as they reclaim the Ivy League championship title that was ceded to Harvard in 2014. Prior to that, Princeton had taken first place at this competition five years in a row.

The first day couldn’t have started off better for Princeton. In the 200 free relay, the Tigers broke a meet and Ivy League record with their time. The four-man squad consisting of seniors Harrison Wagner and Connor Maher, junior Sandy Bole and sophomore Julian Mackrel finished with the time of 1:17:35 for the race.

Moreover, Wagner’s feats were not over for the day. The veteran would win the 50 free individual, a title he last earned in 2013. He would be part of another first-place relay, as he, senior Michael Strand, junior Jack Pohlmann and freshman Corey Okubo would also set an Ivy League record, this time in the 400 medley relay.

In addition to Wagner’s brilliant performance, junior Teo D’Alessandro would finish first in the 200 Individual Medley, holding on to the title he earned last year. The event overall would be a microcosm of the day —the Tigers completely outpaced the competition in this one, as four of the top five finishers came from Princeton’s squad. D’Alessandro was accompanied by junior Marco Bove in third, Maher in fourth and junior Byron Sanborn in fifth.

Success was certainly not lacking for the diving team. Senior Michael Manhard, sophomore Nathan Marakewicz and freshman Liam Fitzgerald would all qualify for the ‘A’ final, with Fitzgerald and Manhard earning sixth and seventh on the day for Princeton. Marakewicz in particular would impress, coming in second place on the day.

The Tigers would end the day with 488 points, with the second place Harvard coming in at just 385. That lead would only continue to grow with more excellent performances the following day. Okubo would make his mark as he set an Ivy League record in his 400 IM victory. Along with Okubo, sophomore Sam Smiddy would also perform excellently in the race. Smiddy was the defending 400 IM champion from last year, and despite finishing second to Okubo, he was still a full second faster than the rest of the competition.

In addition to Okubo, other strong performers fromFriday’sraces would help add to Princeton’s lead, as a quartet of Strand, Pohlmann, Wagner and Maher would also set an Ivy League record in the 200 medley.

Princeton’s control over the relays was very evident on the day. They would add to their list of victories a win in the 800 free, as the team of D’Alessandro, Bole, Maher and freshman Zach Buerger would finish more than a full second ahead of second place Yale. D’Alessandro achieved more individual success along with his victory relays: he helped increase Princeton’s lead as he got second place in the 200 IM.

Princeton’s lead had extended to over 150 points as they entered the final day of competition. While scoring fewer first place victories overall, they would still extend their lead to over 200 points by the end of the last event, garnering 1519 points by the end. Manhard and Makarewicz would finish 3rdand 6thin the three meter dive, as Manhard would conclude his collegiate career.

Jack Pohlmann would earn 3rdplace in the 200 breast, while Okubo, Buerger and Bove would finish 2nd, 3rdand 4thin the 200 fly. Wagner would also add to the lead, finishing 3rd in the 100 free.

As usual, Princeton would take over in relays. A team of Bole, Wagner, Mackrel and Maher would claim first in the 400 free relay, wrapping up one of the best relay performances by a team in many years.

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The Tigers certainly came into this weekend with something to prove after losing their title last year. They did so in style —an absolutely crushing performance for a team that has proven itself to be at the top over the league over nearly a decade’s time.