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No. 23 Women's Swimming & Diving Readies Itself For Pursuit Of 17th Ivy League Championship
February 14, 2007 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Head coach Susan Teeter and her No. 23 Princeton women's swimming and diving team is fully aware of the target on its backs. One season ago, clad in Orange and Black and assuming the role of underdogs, Princeton sprinted out of the gates and never looked back to claim the 2006 Ivy League title in the pool of the favored Harvard Crimson. This year, seven other teams will make the trip to Princeton's DeNunzio Pool with the same intention in mind. And Princeton wouldn't have it any other way.
Princeton, which jumped into the national polls after capping its perfect Ivy League season with February wins over Harvard, Yale and Columbia, finished its regular season with a 10-1 record, 7-0 against Ivy League opponents. The Tigers' only dual loss of the season came during the opening weekend, when they fell on the road against the currently No. 11 Michigan Wolverines. Princeton won four of its seven league meets, including the annual HYP showdown, in the friendly confines of DeNunzio Pool.
The Tigers have been the dominant power in Ivy League women's swimming and diving this decade. Dating back to 2000, Princeton has won six of seven league titles. Its one loss, though, will be a major source of inspiration this weekend. Since Harvard ended Princeton's five-year title run in 2005 with a win at DeNunzio, no member of the current Tiger swimming and diving team has ever been able to celebrate an Ivy championship inside the walls of DeNunzio (the 2004 and 2006 titles came at Harvard).
It will take a top-notch weekend for Princeton to earn that honor, especially with a loaded Harvard squad coming back to New Jersey. The HYP meet wasn't decided until the final events, and Teeter expects the same this weekend.
"I really believe it will come down to the relays," she said after the HYP win. "There are so many great performers in this league, and we know what kind of team Harvard has. It will take the best effort of the season for our women to win the title, but I know what kind of roster we have, and I know they'll be ready to compete. It should be an exciting weekend, and we're thrilled to have it at DeNunzio, which we think is the best facility in the East."
Princeton, winner of 16 Ivy League titles since the championship was first given in 1977, will begin pursuit of the title Thursday. There are six sessions in the 2007 Ivy League championship meet - three preliminary sessions and three finals sessions. The full schedule can be accessed by clicking on the link at the top of the page. That site, run by Rick Osterberg, will be updated throughout the meet with psych sheets, results and team scores.
Each swimmer is allowed to swim three individual events and three relays, all of which will be determined by the coaches prior to Thursday. Princeton has the top time of the season in eight events, including seven for freshman phenom Alicia Aemisegger and one for sophomore Justina DiFazio. And while individual titles to earn the most points, a title doesn't automatically go to the team with the most wins. The best example of that is the 2006 EISL championships, which Princeton won without claiming a single individual event.
Instead, the overall talent depth will be tested. Princeton has a top-five time in every individual event, and several in both the 200 and 400 IMs. Harvard also has several top-five times, and the Crimson will have the favorite in its share of events too. Other schools will also push for individual wins, and while they aren't likely to overcome both Princeton and Harvard for the title, they will have a major say in which school does win the crown. Diving, a key component to the Tigers' championship drive last season, looks to be a strength again this year. The Tigers have nine divers competing this weekend, including Katie Giarra, who swept the 1- and 3-meter competitions against Columbia last season, and Michelle DeMond, who finished in the top six in both events at last season's championships.
Experience is another strength for the Tigers, who return three winners from last year's championships in DiFazio, Ellen Gray and Kelly Hannigan. They also have several pieces of winning relays, including sprinter Sobenna George and IM specialist Lisa Hamming.
GoPrincetonTigers.com will have nightly updates after each finals session.