Freshman Regan Barney Wins 400 IM Ivy League Title; Tigers Remain Third Going Into Final Day

Friday, February 16

Boston, Mass.

11:00 AM/6:00 PM

Princeton University

Ivy Championships Day 3

Photo by: Ivy League

Freshman Regan Barney Wins 400 IM Ivy League Title; Tigers Remain Third Going Into Final Day

February 16, 2018 | Women's Swimming and Diving

LINKS: Day 3 Results l Day 2 Recap l Day 1 Recap

Freshman Regan Barney came to Princeton as a 400 IM silver medalist at Junior Nationals, as well as a five-time Olympic Trials qualifier. She had plenty of solid showings throughout her freshman season, but head coach Bret Lundgaard believed she had something truly special inside her.

During the 400 IM final at the Ivy League Championships, Barney unleashed it.

The Austin, Texas, native rallied from a deficit midway through the IM with a strong 100 fly, and then pulled away from the field in the 100 free portion of the race to win the Ivy League title in 4:13.48, the third-fastest time in Princeton history. Her brilliant swim helped keep Princeton in third place at the Ivy Championships, but the Tigers made up ground against reigning champion Yale. Barney also claimed Princeton's first 400 IM Ivy League title since 2010, when Alicia Aemisegger won her second of back-to-back titles in the event.

Princeton will enter the final day of the Ivy League Championships with 893 points, less than 100 behind Yale (990). The host Harvard Crimson lead the field with 1053 points, while fourth-place Penn is well behind Princeton with 626.5 points. The Tigers have shown impressive improvement after a tough 2016-17 season, and it shows in the numbers. After Day 3 of the 2017 Ivy Championships, Princeton had only 662 points, more than 230 behind its current total.

Barney's swim provided an immediate highlight for the Tigers, who had plenty of strong moments throughout the day. Junior teammate Joanna Curry, whose strength in the breast helped her to an early lead in the 400 IM, finished fifth overall in 4:16.86, which now stands as the sixth-fastest in school history.

Junior Isabel Reis followed up by going 53.08 in the 100 fly final to finish third in that event, and it also topped her own lifetime best, which stands as the third-fastest in school history. Princeton had half of the finalists in the event, and senior Elsa Welshofer topped that trio by finishing sixth in 53.63. Sophomore Elaine Zhou took seventh in 54.06, while senior tri-captain Claire McIlmail finished eighth in 54.51.

McIlmail didn't have much recovery time before she was back in the water for the 200 free, an event she won as a freshman before dealing with multiple injuries throughout her career. The senior leader battled back to the A final, and she finished sixth with a season-best time of 1:48.10. Fellow captain Maddy Veith swam a lifetime best 1:48.15 — eighth-best in school history — to get into the final, and she placed eighth in 1:48.94.

Freshman Jenny Ma went out to show the depth of the Princeton Class of 2021 during the 100 breast final, and she took third in 1:01.90. Her brilliant prelim swim of 1:01.75 is the second-fastest in program history, and she joined sophomore teammate Elaine Zhou in the final. Zhou took sixth in 1:02.53, and her prelim time of 1:02.30 stands as the fifth-fastest in Princeton history.

Yet another Tiger freshman had a strong performance in the Friday finals, as Stephanie Nelson took fifth in the 100 back in 54.92. Senior teammate Lindsay Temple was just off that pace, and she took second in 54.94.

The 3-meter diving prelims took place in the afternoon, and Princeton's Sine Scribbick and Natasha MacManus both qualified for Saturday's A final, while teammates Sophia Peifer and Carolyn MacFarlane reached the B finals and finished 11^th and 12^th overall in the event, though their team points won't be added until Saturday's A final is complete.

Princeton concluded the night by taking third in the 400 medley relay in a time of 3:40.51. The Tigers will return to the pool Saturday at 11 am for prelims, and then will compete in the finals at 6 pm. The Saturday schedule is below.

Prelims (11 a.m.)
1 • 200-yard backstroke
2 • 100-yard freestyle
3 • 200-yard breaststroke
4 • 200-yard butterfly
5 • 1650-yard freestyle (all but fastest heat)
(to begin at approximately 4:00 p.m.)

Finals (6 p.m.)
1 • 1650-yard freestyle (fastest heat)
2 • 200-yard backstroke
3 • 100-yard freestyle
4 • 200-yard breaststroke
5 • 200-yard butterfly
6 • 3-meter diving finals
7 • 400-yard freestyle relay (timed final)