Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Day One
Players Mentioned
Swim Teams Open 2009-10 Season Successfully At Big Al Opening Session
November 14, 2009 | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
Winning performances by both the men's and women's swimming and diving teams were the norm during the first session of both the season and the 2009 Big Al Open Friday night at DeNunzio Pool. There are still two sessions to go in the first meet for both teams of the 2009-10 season.
All times for Friday's session, along with the order of events for Saturday, can be found here. This same link can be used for live updates following each race Saturday.
The Princeton women opened with a win in the 200 free relay, as the foursome of Megan Waters, Courtney Kilkuts, Emily Trautner and Jillian Altenburger topped Fordham with a time of 1:34.68. The Tigers placed two teams in the top three, as the team of Carter Stephens, Kathy Qu, Kerry Gruendel and Alexa Powers placed third in 1:38.72.
Fittingly, the first individual event of the season was won by senior and 10-time All-America honoree Alicia Aemisegger, who won the 500 free in 4:45.75. The Princeton record holder in the event and the three-time Ivy League champion won the event by nearly 10 fuil seconds, while junior Ming Ong placed second. Aislinn Smalling, Altenburger and Nicole McAndrew rounded out an all-Princeton top five.
Aemisegger bounced back quickly to win the 200 IM in 2:00.19, while three-time Ivy League champion Courtney Kilkuts placed second in the event in 2:04.85. Altenburger and Stephens also recorded top-five finishes.
Waters has been Princeton's top sprinter recently, and she won the 50 in 23.24. Stephens, a freshman, showed her early promise with a fourth-place finish in 24.24. Waters then led off the winning 400 medley relay team, which also included Kilkuts, Aemisegger and Altenburger, to a time of 3:49.18.
On the men's side, Princeton opened with a win in the 200 free relay. Freshman Andres Tung led off a relay that included returners Matthew LaMonaca, Michael Monovoukas and Geoffrey Faux to a winning time of 1:24.12. A freshman-heavy Princeton team of Brian Barrett, Will Lawley, David Reid and junior Peter Fellowes placed fourth in 1:27.51.
It was a Princeton-heavy finish in the 500, although the actual winner no longer swims for Princeton. Former captain Doug Lennox, swimming unattached, barely edged Tiger junior Colin Hanna with a time of 4:35.45. Hanna placed second in 4:35.67, while sophomore Travis McNamara, the reigning Ivy League champion in the 500, placed third in 4:35.74. Jon Christensen, Patrick Biggs and Colin Cordes placed 4-5-6, respectively.
Hanna returned the favor against Lennox one event later by winning the 200 IM in 1:52.90, more than a half second faster than Lennox. Sophomore Ryan Chiu placed third in 1:55.42, while Brett Lullo took fourth in 1:55.62.
Faux won the 50 free in 20.95, while Tung placed third in 21.34 and Monovoukas took fourth in 21.50.
Saturday will include two sessions. The morning one will begin at 9 a.m., while the afternoon one begins at 3 p.m.