Harvard Women’s Swim and Dive Beats Yale, Loses to Princeton

Though the Harvard women’s swim and dive team (9-1, 6-1 Ivy) faced tough competition at its annual Harvard-Yale-Princeton (HYP) meet, the team’s emotions ran high as it celebrated its seniors for its final home meet before the Ivy Championships.

The Crimson beat the Yale Bulldogs (5-4, 3-4 Ivy) 207-93 and fell to the Princeton Tigers (12-0, 7-0 Ivy) 139.5-160.5. The stands at Blodgett Pool were packed over the course of the two-day men’s and women’s dual meet, with cheers ringing throughout the pool up through the last relay. For some athletes, this was their final meet, as the team can only take around 20 people to compete at Ivies.

Junior captain Isabella Alas said the enthusiasm in the room prepared the team for its final competition.

“The energy was really good, and this is just good practice for us as we keep going and going towards our end goal, towards Ivies,” Alas said.

Harvard celebrated its six graduating seniors at the end of the meet, each swimmer being honored for their accomplishments and wished luck on their future endeavors.

The team is graduating two divers, captain Tabitha Chen-Fiske and Nina Janmyr, and four swimmers, Elizabeth Brock, Sydney Lu, Anya Mostek, and Carlie Rose. Chen-Fiske described her experience as she took to the boards for the last time at Blodgett.

“There were so many people in the stands, so many friends, family, and teammates cheering. It was really special. Also super heartwarming. When I was doing my last dive, all the divers were lined up and cheering, which really made it a special experience,” Chen-Fiske said.

Harvard divers had a strong showing overall, with Janmyr placing first in the three-meter diving and second in the one-meter event. Sophomore Samantha Holtz also made the podium in three-meter diving, placing third. Unlike other meets, the diving took place before the swimming, allowing all the teammates to watch the swimming and diving events, according to Chen-Fiske.

“The divers were able to watch the whole swim meet and really get behind the swimmers,” Chen-Fiske said. “And the swimmers came at the end of the diving meet and really got behind the divers. So we got to celebrate each other as much as we could.”

In the pool, the swimmers donned their tech suits, which are specialized suits made to reduce drag and increase speed, to prepare for the upcoming Ivy League Championships. These suits are not typically worn because they are expensive and designed for fewer than 15 uses. Junior captain Stephanie Iannaccone said the team’s faster times this meet were not just thanks to the special attire.

“It was good practice for us as we go into Ivies and our championship season,” Iannaccone said. “But I think it’s not the suit, it’s the swimmer.”

HYP was full of highlights from the Crimson swimmers. Mostek broke a pool record in the 100-yard backstroke, clocking in at an impressive time of 52.34 seconds amid her senior day celebrations.

“I just let the adrenaline take me through the race, leaning on my teammates’ cheers and the mindset of having no regrets in my final home meet,” Mostek said while acknowledging her teammates’ support that contributed to her record-breaking race.

The senior’s performance, alongside her teammates’ successes, gave Harvard the edge over both Princeton and Yale after the first day of competition.

Junior Alexandra Bastone was once again dominant in the long-distance events, placing first in both the 1000 and 500-yard freestyle races. Lu had a swift showing in the 100-yard butterfly, beating her competition by nearly a full second.

Furthermore, the 200-yard medley relay with Lu, Mostek, freshman Aliana Marakovic, and sophomore Kiley Wilhelm topped the podium, taking down both the Bulldogs’ and Tigers’ A-teams.

Head Coach Amanda Kulik was proud of this strong performance, especially from her graduating seniors.

“There’s a saying, never underestimate a senior swim or a senior dive,” Kulik said. “They’re such competitors, and I’m so proud of the fight and the leadership that they have.”

Though the team went into day two of the meet in the lead, they focused on resetting and viewing the scoreboard as if it were zero-zero, said Bastone. The Crimson’s ultimate fall to second place was a result of a few close second- and third-place finishes to its competitors.

“Even though we didn't win, I think that there were a lot of little wins within that of personal bests, team camaraderie, and just support throughout the entire meet,” Bastone said.

Next, the team will face the entire Ivy League at Brown University on Feb. 18-21. Last year, the Crimson placed second out of the eight schools, narrowly falling to Princeton. This year, the Harvard team is hoping to do one better and is excited to give it its all at the meet.

“At Ivies, we know we’re gonna bring it. But what stands out about our team is, like I’ve always said, the camaraderie, the joy, and the swimming and diving for something that’s bigger than them,” Kulik said. “It’s not just about individual times or dive scores. It’s about what we can do as a united group. And I believe in this group. I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

—Staff writer Avani Shah-Lipman can be reached at [email protected].

—Staff writer Rhiannon Stewart can be reached at [email protected].