W. Swimming Claims League Crown

NEW HAVEN, Conn.—Fans in attendance at the Robert J. H. Kiphuth Exhibition Swimming Pool at Yale Saturday afternoon saw a level of perfection that hadn’t been achieved in 16 years.

The Harvard women’s swimming and diving team, closing out the season with victories in a tri-meet over Yale and Princeton, finished their dual meet year with a perfect 7-0 record in Ivy League competition, and a perfect 10-0 record overall. The unblemished season was only the Crimson’s fifth in its history.

With the two victories over their Ivy rivals, Harvard wrapped up its first Ivy dual meet championship since it shared it with Princeton during the 1995-1996 season. The last time the Crimson won it outright was 1992.

A large part of the reason the Crimson was able to beat Princeton and finish the season undefeated derived from an infusion of young blood that the Tigers had not seen before. Freshmen swimmers Jaclyn Pangilinan, Bridget O’Connor, diver Samantha Papadakis and sophomore Noelle Bassi all made their HYP debuts this weekend, and the first impression they left on the competition will certainly be a lasting one.

In the very first event of the meet—the 200-yard medley relay—Pangilinan and O’Connor teamed up with senior Molly Ward and freshman Amanda Slaight to out-touch the Princeton’s top relay team and win the event. This was just the beginning of what would prove to be two memorable days of swimming and diving for the four newcomers.

Pangilinan finished the meet with additional first place finishes in both 100-yard and 200-yard breaststrokes. O’Connor would go on to second place finish in the 200-yard butterfly and a pool-record first place finish in the 100-yard butterfly.

Bassi, the much-heralded transfer from Tennessee who had to sit out last season due to NCAA regulations, didn’t disappoint in her first HYP race either. She won the 200-yard butterfly and 500-yard freestyle, and finished second in the 400-yard individual medley, losing only to teammate sophomore Jane Evans.

Having watched the agonizing defeats last year at the hands of Princeton, without being able to contribute herself, Bassi came into this year’s HYP meet determined to help the team claim victory.

“While I was at Tennessee I was caught up in my own swimming, taking last year off taught me the value of being a good teammate,” Bassi said. “Approaching this meet I knew I needed to be there for my teammates, in and out of the pool.”

“I saw the team lose confidence and begin focusing on the outcome instead of the process,” she added. “This year our team approached the meet with confidence and a positive mental attitude but didn’t take anyone lightly, and that definitely made the difference.”

Papadakis continued the onslaught by winning both diving events, the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards.

—Staff writer Paul M. Soper can be reached at soper@fas.harvard.edu.