Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Ivy Championships Day 1
Players Mentioned
Wagner Trifecta Helps Men's Swim/Dive To Early Lead At Ivy Championships
February 27, 2015 | Men's Swimming and Diving
DAY 1 RESULTS l CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW (with video)
LIVE RESULTS l LIVE VIDEO l CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
Princeton's Ivy Championship History l @PUCSDT l @PUTigers
Harrison Wagner knew what he was talking about.
A guest on this week's edition of TigerCast, Wagner spoke these words about how he believed the environment around the Ivy League Championships would affect him.
“I welcome the emotions,” Wagner said. “I think they just add to the inherent kind of competitive mentality. The way I think about swimming, and the preparation for these races, I just let my body give in to anything I'm feeling and try to relax. I think it gives an edge to think about the circumstances and get psyched up in certain ways.”
He got psyched up, and then he put on a show.
And he wasn't the only one in Orange and Black to do so.
Wagner led off an Ivy League record-setting 200 free relay, then reclaimed his 50 free individual championship, and finally finished off another record-setting relay, to help Princeton race out a quick lead after Day 1 of the Ivy League Championships, held this weekend at DeNunzio Pool. Teo D'Alessandro defended his 200 IM championship, while three Tiger divers reached the 1-meter 'A' final to advance the cause.
There are still 14 events remaining, including several strong ones for Harvard, so there is plenty of work ahead for the Tigers. They will head into Day 2 with 488 points, while Harvard stands second with 385 points. Yale and Penn are in a tight battle for third, with the Bulldogs leading by 42 points with a score of 326.
If Princeton was looking for a smashing way to start the finals session, it nailed it during the 200 free relay. The quartet of Wagner, Connor Maher, Julian Mackrel and Sandy Bole broke a five-year Ivy League record held by Princeton with a time of 1:17.35.
Wagner gave the Tigers an early lead, and Maher built on it with the fastest second split in the field. Mackrel and Bole weren't to be outdone, as both also posted the fastest splits of their competition to help Princeton to a victory of more than 1.4 seconds over Harvard.
Sophomore Sam Smiddy made a strong run at Penn's Chris Swanson in an exciting 500 free, though the reigning Ivy League champion held on for the win in a meet record time of 4:17.53. Smiddy turned a three-man race for second into a two-man race for third over the final 150, and he improved his sixth-place finish in 2014 to a second-place finish this year (4:18.21).
Junior teammate Zach Ridout also made the 'A' final and placed seventh in 4:23.72.
The 200 IM was an Orange and Black celebration, as Princeton placed four swimmers in the top five. D'Alessandro defended his Ivy League title in the event in a championship time of 1:44.94, more than half a second faster than anybody in the field.
Classmate Marco Bove took third in 1:45.76, while Maher finished fourth in 1:45.98 and junior Byron Sanborn finished fifth in 1:46.11.
That set up the thrilling 50 free final, and Wagner shined once again. While it was a deep, strong field, all eyes were on the middle two lanes. Wagner, the 2013 50 free champion, had posted the fastest time in prelims, while Penn's Eric Schultz, the reigning champion, had the second-fastest time.
Nothing would change. Wagner used a brilliant turn and final 25 to win in 19.39 and claim a second individual championship. Bole finished fourth in 19.85, while freshman Ben Schafer took seventh in 20.17.
The excitement for the Tigers in the diving well came early, when the trio of Michael Manhard, Nathan Makarewicz and Liam Fitzgerald each qualified for the 'A' final, making Princeton the only team with three divers in that final. Harvard senior Michael Mosca made history by completing a four-year sweep of the event with 368.05 points, but Makarewicz had an impressive showing with a second-place score of 342.65 points.
Fitzgerald (288.90) and Manhard (266.05) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, for the Tigers.
The final event of the evening was the 400 medley relay, and Princeton made sure to give a capacity audience in DeNunzio something special to remember. The Tigers won their first 400 medley relay since 2012 in an Ivy League record time of 3:09.56.
Senior Michael Strand, the two-time defending Ivy champion in the 100 back, gave the Tigers a huge lead with his opening leg, and junior Jack Pohlmann built on it with a strong 100 breast. Freshman Corey Okubo, making his Ivy Championships debut swim, handled the fly leg and set the table for Wagner to complete his perfect day.
The second day of the Ivy Championships will begin at 11 am Friday with another preliminary session, while finals will begin at 6 pm.
Fans should note that Friday night will also have a home women's basketball game, featuring the 14th-ranked Princeton Tigers, as well as the first night session of the CSA individual squash championships, so please give yourself ample time to get to DeNunzio.