Princeton University Athletics
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Swimming/Diving Ivy Seasons Open Saturday With Tri-Meet At Penn
November 17, 2011 | Women's Swimming and Diving
The Princeton men's and women's swimming and diving teams will open their 2011-12 dual meet seasons at Sheerr Pool in Philadelphia when they take on both Cornell and Penn in an Ivy League tri-meet.
Both meets will officially open Friday night with diving competitions. On Saturday, the women will begin the full day with an 11 a.m. start, while the men will begin their competition at 3 p.m.
The women carry a 38-meet win streak into the 2011 season opener and are the two-time defending Ivy League champion. Led by co-captains Meredith Monroe and Kerry Gruendel, Princeton will look to move that streak to 40 Saturday morning. Last season, Princeton earned wins of 165-127 over Cornell and 171.5-120.5 over Penn, with both being held at Cornell.
Princeton split its squads between the Minnesota Grand Prix and the Princeton Open last weekend, and it got strong performances in each location. At the Minnesota Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious meets in the sport, Monroe reached consolation finals in both the 100 and 200 back, and she ended up winning the 200 back final. Several members of the talented freshman class also competed, including Courtney Ciardiello, who opened the second day of competition by reaching the 'B' final in the 200 fly.
Both Rebecca Lewinson (pictured, left) and Laura Loughran (right) were individual winners at the Princeton Open last weekend, as was Gruendel, who won the 100 breast in 1:07.14.
The men had a strong opening weekend at the Princeton Open, earning wins from All-Ivy standouts such as Colin Cordes, Jon Christensen and Paul Nolle III. The men also got wins from some of its talented freshmen, including Oliver Bennett (200 fly) and Harrison Wagner (50 free). Diver Stevie Vines (pictured, middle left) won the three-meter competition, while Kaspar Raigla (middle right) led off the winning 200 medley relay.
The Tiger men, who survived a three-day thriller to win the 2011 Ivy League Championship at Harvard, defeated Penn 233-67 and Cornell 192-100 last year.