Women’s swimming and diving team secured their third consecutive Ivy League Swimming and Diving Championship, Princeton’s 26th overall, after multiple wins across the board this weekend.
The Tigers ended the four-day event with 1479 points, beating out Harvard (1,287.5) and Yale (1,090.5) to top the podium.
“This season has been really special and a lot of fun,” Head Coach Abby Brethauer wrote to The Daily Princetonian.
“I think this past weekend was a reflection of the work the women have put in all season, and it was truly a team effort. We knew that Harvard was going to put up a fight, and they certainly made us work for it, but our team knows how to step up when the pressure is on, and they rose to the occasion,” Brethauer added.
In addition to the team’s victory, sophomore Eleanor Sun earned the Co-High Point Swimmer of the Meet award, and junior Charlotte Martinkus earned the High Point Diver of the Meet award.
“Eleanor is one of those athletes that just likes to work — and is lucky to have a team around her that is willing to do the work with her,” Brethauer wrote.
Tigers jump out to early lead on day one
On Wednesday, both the swim and dive sections saw new pool records at Denunzio Pool.
The Harvard Crimson came out on top in the first event, the 200-yard medley relay. Princeton’s quartet of junior Heidi Smithwick, junior Sabrina Johnston, senior Ela Noble, and senior Alexa Pappas touched the wall second after Harvard, with a time of 1:37.14.
Shortly after, Smithwick and Johnston were both back in the action in the 800-yard freestyle relay. This time, senior Jenna Walters and Sun joined the pair as the Tigers finished atop the podium with 7:03.47, beating out Brown and Penn and setting a pool record in the process.
The Crimson quartet — who touched the wall second behind Princeton — was notably disqualified in the 800-yard freestyle relay after officials deemed that Kaylee McDonald took off early. The disqualification cost the Crimson 56 points.
After the first day, the Tigers led the Ancient Eight with 120 points.
Tigers dominate on day two
After Harvard’s Alexandra Bastone won the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:38.75, it was all Princeton for the rest of the second day. The Orange and Black finished first in all four remaining events.
Sun won her first individual event of the week after finishing first in the 200 Individual Medley (IM) with a time of 1:55.50, a new pool record. Fellow Tigers — sophomore Dakota Tucker and junior Eliza Brown — finished right behind Sun as the Tigers went 1–2–3 for the event. In 2024, Tucker won the 200 IM event.
“For us to go 1-2-3 in both the 200 and 400 IM certainly speaks to the work they all put in over the course of the season,” Brethauer wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “It’s a lot of fun on the days when the girls are all in there together pushing each other and certainly having Eleanor and Dakota has helped raise the bar of that training group.”
Princeton’s success continued as Johnston (22.30) won the 50-yard freestyle for the second consecutive year, with Noble coming in second 0.13 seconds later.
“Having Ela [Noble] by my side was key to my race,” Johnston wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “She is such a fierce, reassuring force to have next to me, and that definitely got me in the right mindset heading into the race.”
On the diving platform, it was junior Charlotte Martinkus re-cementing herself as the face of Ivy League diving. After earning High Point Diver of the Meet in her rookie season, Martinkus missed the 2024 championships due to injury. Her return to the championships did not disappoint as she won the one meter diving with a score of 302.35.
The highlight of the night was the 200-yard freestyle relay. The quartet of Johnston, Noble, sophomore Veronique Rossouw, and Smithwick clocked in at 1:28.22, a school, pool, and meet record that also netted them a ticket to the NCAA championships.
“I think the key to our success was the fact that we were doing it for something bigger than ourselves,” Johnston explained to the ‘Prince.’ “Making an NCAA A-cut has been a longtime goal for the team, but what allowed us to achieve that and find success in the other relays was our trust in each other and love for the team.”
After Princeton’s dominant showing, they led the pack with 546.5 points, ahead of the Crimson, who had jumped to second place (480) in the live standings.
Orange and Black maintain lead atop standings
Despite only one win on Saturday, the Tigers extended their lead on the back of several high finishes in the six Saturday events.
The lone Tiger win was a special one in the 400-yard individual medley. Sun touched the wall first at 4:06.22, just a night after winning the 200 IM. Tucker (4:07.83) and junior Meg Wheeler (4:12.97) rounded out the podium, with Wheeler tied for bronze with Brown’s Sumner Chmielewski.
The 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke were two of the Tigers’ weaker events, resulting in a lone bronze from Walters in the 200 freestyle. Following both events, Princeton’s lead on the Crimson was under 60 points, a lead that would’ve been in the single digits if the Crimson had not been disqualified on opening night.
Tigers regained a near three digit lead as Johnston, senior Isabella Korbly, and Pappas finished 3–4–5 in the 100-yard backstroke. After finishing behind Harvard in the 400-yard medley relay, the Tigers had 964 points heading into championship Saturday — 90.5 ahead of Harvard.
Three-peat complete on Championship Saturday
On championship Saturday, the Tigers won the final four events to win their 26th Ivy title.
After the Crimson dominated the 1650 freestyle and grabbed top two in the 200-yard backstroke, Princeton’s lead shrunk to 57.5.
In the 100-yard freestyle, the Tigers got back on track. Penn’s Kayla Fu brought home gold for the Quakers, but Johnston, Rossouw, Noble, and Walters finished second, fourth, fifth, and seventh, respectively. Six Tigers competed across the A, B, and C finals, scoring 131 total points for the Orange and Black to Harvard’s 31.
The Tigers were in strong control of the title heading into the final four events. Tucker won the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:11.53, and Sun won her third individual event in the 200-yard butterfly, out-touching Smithwick at the wall.
In the three-meter diving finals, Martinkus put in yet another dominant showing to finish first, while the quartet of Johnston, Rossouw, Noble, and Sun capped off the four day event with a gold medal finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Their time of 3:14.84 was a pool record.
In total, the Tigers dominated the competition for the third consecutive year, winning 10 total events — five individual, three relays, and both diving events.
“I am so happy and incredibly proud of each girl on the team,” Noble said to the ‘Prince.’ “This conference win wouldn’t have been possible without everyone — it was a combined effort.”
The NCAA Championships will take place in Federal Way, Wash. from March 19–22.
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate News editor, senior Sports writer, and Education Director for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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