Harvard Races Way to Ivy League Women’s Title

Photo Courtesy: Harvard Athletics

In another thrilling Ivy League Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships, Harvard held on to win the team title for the third time in five years and 12th conference crown all-time.

Harvard and Princeton have gone back and forth at the top of the League each of the past four years, and this time, it went to the Crimson with 1,500.5 points. Yale edged out Princeton for second with 1,422.5 points with the Tigers a close third with 1,411.5. Penn finished fourth with 1,025 points, followed by Brown (709.5), Columbia (670), Cornell (539.5) and Dartmouth (532.5).

The Crimson created its separation on the final day not in the swimming events but in diving, specifically 3-meter diving with six of the eight participants in the championship final who combined to total 153 pivotal points. Sophomore Hannah Allchurch gave Harvard its first 3m champion with 334.95 since 2006 and. The Crimson also took third, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth in the event.

Yale gave Harvard all it could handle in its best championship performance since a second-place showing in 1996. The Bulldogs nearly swept all the individual award as sophomore Bella Hindley won Swimmer of the Meet with 96 points, junior Lilybet MacRae won the Rick Gilbert High Point Diver of the Meet award with 56 points and senior Eva Fabian was the Career High Point Swimmer with 345 points. Brown senior Rachel Speakman earned the Ron Keenhold Career High Point Diver award with 118 points.

The Bulldogs swept all five relay events and, once again, ended the night with a bang, posting a pool, Ivy League and meet record time of 3:18.09 in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Hindley anchored the record-breaking foursome that included juniors Kina Zhou and Olivia Jameson and fellow rookie Cassidy Richards. Earlier in the evening, Hindley took the 100-yard freestyle title in 49.08, the sixth fastest time in meet history. She was huge in her Ivy championships debut with first-place finishes also in the 50 free, 200 free, 200 free relay and 200 medley relay. SophomoreCailley Silbert, defended her title in the 1,650-yard freestyle in 16:19.16 for ninth fastest time in meet history.

Princeton sophomore Lindsay Temple posted the other meet record of the final day with a blazing time of 1:55.14 to win the 200-yard backstroke. That was the Tigers’ first 200 back winner since 2010 and their only event winner of this year’s championships.

The unique finish of the night went to Brown sophomore Ally Donahue and Harvard freshman Meagan Popp, who touched the pads at the same time in the 200-yard breaststroke final. Each finished in 2:12.18, tied for the seventh fastest time in meet history.

Ivy League contributed this report.

TEAM SCORES		Points
1.	Harvard	1,500.5
2.	Yale	1,422.5
3.	Princeton	1,411.5
4.	Penn	1,025
5.	Brown	709.5
6.	Columbia	670
7.	Cornell	539.5
8.	Dartmouth	532.5

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Dave

8 years ago

I had the pleasure of providing analysis for the Ivy League Digital Network’s coverage of this amazing meet. Multiple lead changes, blazing fast swims, and all the grace and poise you would expect from some truly remarkable student-athletes. One minor correction above, Bella Hindley is only a Freshman, and as humble as can be. I was honored to be at DeNunzio for this event.

Dave Milligan

8 years ago

Correction: Bella Hindley (Yale) is only a Freshman. Look forward to seeing her swim for three more seasons!