Princeton University Athletics
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Swim/Dive Teams Look To Continue Perfect Seasons Saturday
February 05, 2009 | Women's Swimming and Diving
After spending the 2008-09 season competing in the same venue each weekend, the nationally ranked men's and women's swimming and diving teams will head in opposite directions this weekend. They both hope to keep their positive momentum moving in the same direction as they head closer to their respective championship weekends.
The 25th-ranked Princeton women bring a 6-0 record, both overall and in the Ivy League, into Saturday's 12 p.m. dual meet with Columbia at Uris Pool in New York City. The Lions are led by former Princeton great Diana Caskey '85, who was a standout swimmer for the Tigers; Caskey earned All-America and All-Ivy League honors and held the Princeton record in the 500 freestyle for 14 years while leading off the 800 free relay that won the AIAW Intercollegiate Championships in 1982. Caskey has helped build Columbia into one of the elite Ivy League teams; the Lions head into the weekend with an 8-1 record and a 5-1 mark in the league.
While the Lions will be looking to pull off an upset and force a three-way tie for the top regular season record (Harvard also has only one loss), Princeton will be looking to build on its momentum from a terrific team win over both Harvard and Yale last weekend in Cambridge. The Tigers held a lead after the first session and won four of the eight events Saturday to hold off one of the strongest Harvard teams this decade. Junior All-America Alicia Aemisegger won three events, while senior Katie Giarra swept the diving competition. Princeton also got multiple wins from junior Courtney Kilkuts, sophomore Megan Waters and freshman Jillian Altenburger.
Saturday's order of events at Columbia is as follows:
Order of events is subject to change
3m diving
200 medley relay
200 free
50 back
50 breast
200 fly
50 free
1m diving
100 free
200 back
200 breast
500 free
100 fly
Senior Day Ceremony
200 IM
200 free relay
Meanwhile, the 21st-ranked Princeton men will head to Annapolis, Md., to take on the Navy Midshipmen. While not an EISL rivalry anymore (Navy will compete in the Patriot League championships, while Princeton's conference meet is now the Ivy League championships instead of the EISL championships), this will provide a challenging test for the undefeated Tigers (6-0). Navy has set a school record with 16 dual victories on the season and will compete against Columbia Friday night before the 2 p.m. Saturday meet at Navy's Lejeune Hall.
Princeton is coming off a comeback win in the HYP weekend. The Tigers won six individual events over the weekend with six different swimmers and swept both 200 relays. While a pair of senior captains grabbed individual wins (Doug Lennox and Will Schaffer), the Tigers also got wins from Easton Chen, Dan Eckel, Colin Hanna and Bern Ebersole. More than the wins, Princeton showed the kind of depth that led it to both the 2006 and 2007 championships; the Tigers hope it will do the same March 5-7, when DeNunzio Pool serves as host for the 2009 Ivy League championships.
An event order for the men's meet is currently unavailable.