Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
N.C. State
Players Mentioned
Women's Swim/Dive Concludes Home Slate v. NC State, Eyes Return At H-Y-P
January 10, 2015 | Women's Swimming and Diving
The Princeton women's swimming and diving team honored its senior class while testing itself against one of the nation's toughest programs Friday evening at DeNunzio Pool. North Carolina State handed the Tigers their first loss since the season opener at Ohio State during a 190-105 dual meet.
Princeton opened the meet with a third-place finish in the 200 medley relay, as the quartet of Shirley Wang, Olivia Chan, Elsa Welshofer and Madelyn Veith finished in 1:44.50.
Junior Nikki Larson, a 2014 NCAA qualifier, nearly pulled off a victory for Princeton early. She took second in the 200 free by only .08 in a time of 1:50.44. Larson added third-place finishes in both the 100 free (51.13) and the 100 fly (55.59).
Sophomore Olivia Chan also had a second-place finish, going 2:22.74 in the 200 fly. She added a third-place finish earlier in the meet in the 100 breast (1:05.85), and she added a third-place finish in the 200 IM (2:06.07).
Freshmen Claire McIlmail (5:04.03) and Elsa Welshofer (5:04.21) went 2-3 in the 500, while classmate Mary Kate Davis took second in the 1000 in 10:18.30. Beverly Nguyen took third in the 200 fly (2:04.22).
Sophomore Caitlin Chambers, who had been undefeated this season heading into the meet, finished second to Rachel Mumma, who recently placed fourth at the USA Diving Winter National Championships. Chambers scored 273.97 in the 1-meter competition and 305.71 in the 3-meter event.
Princeton closed the meet with a third-place finish in the 400 free relay, as the quartet of McIlmail, Larson, Veith and Katie Diller finished in 3:26.04.
The Tigers, who will not compete again this season in DeNunzio, honored their Class of 2015 during the meet. Below is the senior profiles written by members of the junior class for the meet program.
Princeton will be off for the next three weeks before embarking on the heart of the season, which includes H-Y-P weekend (Jan. 30-31) and the Ivy League Championships (Feb. 19-21).
THE CLASS OF 2015
Courtney Ciardiello hails from Rye, New York. A politics major pursuing a certificate in political economy, her thesis focuses on the economic costs of political violence. Courtney is a force to be reckoned with in the mid-distance events; her unwavering dedication to PUCSDT comes out when she competes in the grueling 200 fly/200 back double year after year. On top of her passion for the team, Court is known for her fun-loving personality, contagious energy, and leadership in and out of the pool. Her teammates and friends will miss her next year but not to worry – Court's passion for Princeton will undoubtedly bring her back to Denunzio in the future!
Elizabeth Gelb came to Princeton from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is a Woodrow Wilson major, writing her thesis on the “International and Control Measures that are in place to determine if the United States is ready for the next pandemic”. Last summer, Liz worked for the government in Washington D.C., where she will be returning upon graduation as she pursues a consulting position at Deloitte. Liz is one of the most enthusiastic members of the team; she never fails to make the people around her smile and is always willing to help out a teammate. In the pool, she has the heart of a tiger and shows her strength in the butterfly events. With her avid interest in knowledge, we won't be surprised to see Liz make a big impact in the real world. We will truly miss her next year!
Reese Iriondo is a senior hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As a core member of the distance group, Reese trains hard and sometimes gets lucky enough to sprint! This past summer, she studied zebras in Kenya for her Ecology and Evolutionary Biology thesis. She tested different theories for why zebras evolved stripes, mainly focusing on ectoparasites. After college, she hopes to continue her studies in medical school to become “Docta D”, a pursuit we are sure she will enjoy success in. Reese literally knows how to fall and get back up stronger than ever, a testament to her commitment to the Tiger tradition. We will miss all of the laughs and good times Reese brought with her to the PUCSDT family.
A Texas native and senior co-captain, Shirley Wang has been a valuable contributor to PUCSDT since her freshman year. Specializing in backstroke, Shirley's commitment and incredible work ethic have led to her great success both in and out of the water. An Economics major with a certificate in Political Economy, Shirley is writing her thesis on the effect of Women's Clinic closures on Children's Medicaid Expenditures in Texas counties. Shirley's loud and enthusiastic cheering, coupled with bright orange and black flare will surely be missed on deck next year. We are excited for all the great things the future has in store for her and look forward to seeing her in the stands in her orange and black as a proud Tiger alum!
Emily Yu came to the Tiger family from Walnut, California. She is an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major, and is writing her thesis on zoonotic disease outbreak potential and the prevalence of certain diseases. Last spring, Emily studied abroad in Panama, and this past summer, she traveled to Madagascar to conduct thesis research. In addition to being a world traveler, Emily specializes in breaststroke and has been an enormous asset to the team both in and out of the pool. We will miss her bubbly personality and infectious laugh, but we can't wait to see what exciting things she accomplishes!