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Video Features: Swim Trio Talks Defending DeNunzio, Racing For Ivy Crown
February 25, 2015 | Men's Swimming and Diving
As a senior, Connor Maher had to sit out the Ivy League Championships at Princeton due to injury; teammates Marco Bove and Corey Okubo haven't had Ivies at DeNunzio in their careers. Heck, Okubo hasn't experienced the Ivy League Championships anywhere, but that will all change in 24 hours, as Princeton is set to host the 2015 Ivy Championships at DeNunzio Pool. Prior to the meet, the trio shared some final thoughts with GoPrincetonTigers.TV.
You can read the full weekend preview and get key links for the weekend below.
LIVE RESULTS l LIVE VIDEO l CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
Princeton's Ivy Championship History l @PUCSDT l @PUTigers
They don't hand out Ivy League championships in early February, and they didn't hand them out in either Boston or New York City this year.
The Princeton men's swimming & diving team would have loved to complete a perfect Ivy League seasons, but late-season losses at Harvard and Columbia ended that drive.
Those wins would have been nice.
But they weren't the ones Princeton has targeted this year.
This target is in its own backyard.
DeNunzio Pool will serve as host of the 2015 Ivy League Championships (Feb. 26-28 • Ivy League Digital Network), and the Tigers have won the last five championship meets that were held at their home pool (2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012).
Running that streak to six will take possibly the biggest effort of all, but the coaching staff left H-Y-P believing this team has something special left in the tank.
And where better to let it out than in the friendly confines of DeNunzio Pool.
Harvard ended Princeton's five-year championship run in 2014 with an 82-point victory over the Tigers, and the Crimson will enter the 2015 meet as favorites after going undefeated against Ivy competition. The meet should be extremely fast, especially as it returns to the ultra-quick DeNunzio following a two-year absence; besides both Harvard and Princeton, teams like Penn and Yale have some of the top performers in the league already this season.
Here is a quick preview of the upcoming Men's Ivy League Championships:
FREE
There is certainly reason to be optimistic about the Tiger sprinters after Princeton topped Harvard in both the 200 free and 400 free relays at H-Y-P.
Senior Harrison Wagner is a former Ivy League champion in the 50 free, and he carries the league's fourth-fastest time in that event this season (20.08). Teammate Julian Mackrel is in the Top 10 of the 50 and the Top 5 of the 100 this season, and several other Princeton swimmers are in the Top 10 of one or the other. Connor Maher is a strong sprinter and could be a contender here.
Both Mackrel and Sandy Bole were 'A' finalists in the 200 last year, and both will try to break into an event where Harvard looks especially strong.
Sophomore Sam Smiddy and junior Zach Ridout will be Princeton's top threats in the distance events. Ridout took third in the mile last year, while Smiddy took sixth in the 500.
BACK
Senior Michael Strand has proven multiple times that he can handle the biggest moment. Though he doesn't have one of the top league marks this season, you'd have to expect the two-time Ivy League 100 back champ to be ready for his final meet at DeNunzio.
Classmate Connor Maher is also a former 200 back champion, and he is currently fifth in the league in that event (1:45.67).
Junior Andrew Helber is having his best year and currently ranks third in the Ivy in the 100 (48.31) and ninth in the 200 (1:46.58). Freshman teammates Zach Buerger and Alex Lewis rank in the Top 10 in the 100, while classmate Corey Okubo currently ranks second in the 200 (1:45.01).
BREAST
Junior Byron Sanborn has never finished below third in an Ivy League 'A' final in either the 100 or 200, but you can be assured he'd love to claim his first individual title in DeNunzio this month. Sanborn won't enter as one of the top seeds, but you can feel confident that all involved will have a strong interest in his prelim time.
Another Tiger that will draw attention, especially in the 100, is classmate Jack Pohlmann. He currently has the Ivy's fastest time in the event (54.19), and he figures to be a contender in the 200 as well. Brett Usinger is a strong contender in this stroke as well.
FLY
The fly events weren't particularly strong for Princeton at the 2014 Ivy Championships, but the Tigers are hoping a strong crop of newcomers to add some big points in the events.
Freshman Zachary Buerger swam the third-fastest 200 fly in Princeton history (1:44.66) to win H-Y-P and earn the top seed at Ivies, while Okubo has the third-fastest time in the event. Classmate Ben Schafer ranks fourth in the 100 with a B-cut time of 48.22.
Upperclassmen Oliver Bennett and Marco Bove should both be factors, while Strand has never finished below ninth in the 100.
IM
For Princeton to regain the Ivy League title, it knows it will need some major events, and the two IMs could provide big opportunities.
Last year, Princeton went 1-2-3 in the 200 IM final (and also placed seventh and 12th), and the Tigers could be even stronger this year. That group is led by junior Teo D'Alessandro, the reigning Ivy champion who will come in with the top-seeded time of 1:45.52. Bove and Sanborn went 2-3 in the final last year, and there is no reason to think they can't contend again. Bole and Liam Karas are also names to watch in the event.
Two more who could contend are Buerger and Okubo, who currently rank second and third, respectively, in the event. Those two could jump high into the all-time Princeton Top 10 during the first day of Ivies and give the Tigers big points in the event.
Okubo also enters the Championships as the top seed in the 400 IM (3:48.15), though teammate Sam Smiddy won't easily give up his 2014 Ivy League title. Smiddy won his first individual Ivy title in this event by nearly two seconds last year, and he has been one of the team's most consistent performers throughout this season.
DIVING
Diving coach Greg Gunn has been known to have his competitors peaking in time for Ivies, and senior Michael Manhard's 1-meter win during the Columbia meet could be a sign that he is moving in that direction. Manhard finished fourth in both events last year, while sophomore Nathan Makarewicz reached the 'A' final in the 3-meter final. Princeton is hoping for a strong performance from a deep group of divers, a unit that has had a strong influence on several championship victories in the past.