2024 Ivy League Women’s Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 Ivy League Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships

• Wednesday, February 21 – Saturday, February 24, 2024
• Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center, Providence, RI
• Defending Champions:
  • Women: Princeton (1x)
• Championship Central
• Pre-scratch Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Video
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

Friday Finals Heat Sheet

Night three of the 2024 Women’s Ivy League Championships may be the most exciting session yet, with five individual finals, the 400 medley relay, and 3-meter diving action. The session will commence with the 100 butterfly, then will continue with the 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back.

We saw an Ivy League record bite the dust in prelims, as Harvard sophomore Anya Mostek eclipsed her 100 back record from December. She touched in 52.27 this morning to reset her record, and the previous record stood at 52.28. It took a time of 52.36 to get invited to the 2023 NCAA Championships, so she’s right on the bubble as of right now.

The first two events of the night, the 100 fly and 400 IM, are led by Princeton athletes. Heidi Smithwick (53.01) and Sabrina Johnston (53.24) led the way for the Tigers this morning, earning lanes 4 and 5. Smithwick was 7th in Thursday’s 50 free final while Johnston scored gold. Harvard sophomore Sydney Lu will also feature, qualifying 3rd. Lu will also compete in tonight’s 200 free championship final, where she ranked 7th after prelims.

The 400 IM is led by Thursday’s 200 IM gold medalist, Dakota Tucker. Tucker clocked 4:09.06 this morning to lead the field by almost five seconds, but teammate Eleanor Sun (4:13.92) is ranked 2nd and owns a best time of 4:06.07, which is faster than the current championship record.

Yale showcased their breaststroke prowess earlier this morning, with Jessey Li (1:00.36) and Ava Franks (1:00.79) leading a 1-2 prelim punch. They were the only two under 1:01 in the heats, but Princeton’s Margaux McDonald (1:01.03) is in close pursuit. McDonald was the 2nd seed coming into the meet with her 1:00.39 entry time.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 48.25 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• Ivy League Record: 51.57 – Alex Forrester, Yale (2013)
• Ivy Championships Record: 51.57 – Alex Forrester, Yale (2013)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 50.69
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 52.20

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Lillian Klinginsmith (BROWN) – 52.53
2. Sydney Lu (HARV) – 52.55
3. Heidi Smithwick (PRIN) – 52.60
4. Mandy Brenner (HARV) – 53.19
5. Sabrina Johnston (PRIN) – 53.20
6. Emilie Boisrenoult (CORN) – 53.33
7. Anna Gruvberger (CORN) – 53.34
8. Zehra Bilgin (BROWN) – 53.68

After entering the meet as the 9th seed and moving up to 6th in prelims, Brown’s Lillian Klinginsmith rallied for the 100 fly win. She took the race out strong, turning in 24.65 through the first 50 before closing in 27.88. Sydney Lu of Harvard touched just 0.02 behind at the finish, splitting 27.84 over the final 50 to make a run at the title.

The top qualifier from this morning, Princeton’s Heidi Smithwick, made it three :52s with her 52.60 final time. Smithwick’s teammate, Sabrina Johnston, touched in 53.20 for 5th place overall. Johnston was the winner of Thursday’s 50 free final, and will start as the top seed in tomorrow’s 100 free.

Mandy Brenner of Harvard was 4th in tonight’s final, touching in 53.19. A pair of Cornell athletes clocked in at 6th and 7th, with Emilie Boisrenoult (53.33) touching just 0.01 ahead of teammate Anna Gruvberger (53.34).

Winner Klinginsmith wasn’t the only representative from Brown in tonight’s final, as junior Zehra Bilgin (53.68) collected 22 points via her 8th place finish.

The ‘B’-final was taken out by Princeton freshman Edie Simecek. She hit the wall in 53.70, outpacing Yale’s Alex Massey (53.85) by just 0.15. The both split 28.88 over the final 50 yards, but Simecek was 0.15 quicker on the opening half and it ultimately paid off.

WOMEN’S 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 3:54.60 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
• Ivy League Record: 4:02.47 – Alicia Aemisegger (Princeton, 2009)
• Ivy Championships Record: 4:06.15 – Alicia Aemisegger, Princeton (2009)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 4:03.62
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 4:11.36

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Dakota Tucker (PRIN) – 4:07.32
2. Eleanor Sun (PRIN) – 4:10.27
3. Alexandra Bastone (HARV) – 4:12.51
4. Caroline Riggs (YALE) – 4:12.65
5. Anna Kalandadze (PENN) – 4:13.44
6. Emily Appleton (PRIN) – 4:16.06
7. Junseo Kim (YALE) – 4:16.71
8. Stephanie Iannaccone (HARV) – 4:17.36

Princeton freshman Dakota Tucker doubled up on IM wins, this time grabbing the 400 victory. She hit the wall in 4:07.32, which is faster than her 4:09.06 prelim time but just shy of her 4:07.22 season best. Teammate Eleanor Sun (4:10.27) was 2nd tonight, also dropping from prelims but missing her season best time.

Emily Appleton was the other representative for the Tigers, and she stopped the clock in 4:16.06 to secure 6th place points.

Harvard’s Alexandra Bastone checked-in for 3rd tonight, which is her 2nd bronze medal of the meet. She clocked a multi-second best time in yesterday’s 500 free, and did the same tonight in the 400 IM, finishing in 4:12.51. She entered the meet with a best time of 4:15.91, so she chopped off over three seconds on the day. Her teammate and fellow freshman, Stephanie Iannaccone, finished 8th in 4:17.36.

Penn’s Anna Kalandadze, who posted a dominant victory in the 500 free on Thursday, hit the wall in 4:13.44 for 5th. A pair of Yale athletes secured valuable points in this final, with Caroline Riggs (4:12.65) taking 4th overall and Junseo Kim (4:16.71) getting her hand on the wall for 7th. Both Yale swimmers dropped time from prelims.

The B-final was just as exciting, with Penn freshman Katya Eruslanova (4:16.51) and Brown sophomore Sumner Chmielewski (4:16.60) touching less than a tenth apart at the end of the race. Chmielewski led for most of the way, but Etuslanova’s final 50 split of 28.18 was enough to overtake Chmielewski (28.74 split) over the final few yards.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:39.10 – Missy Franklin, Cal (2015)
• Ivy League Record: 1:41.93 – Lia Thomas, Penn (2021)
• Ivy Championships Record: 1:43.12 – Lia Thomas, Penn (2022)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:42.84
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:45.31

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Morgan Lukinac (BROWN) – 1:45.49
2. Ellie Marquardt (PRIN) – 1:45.83
3. Anna Moehn (PENN) – 1:48.05
4. Molly Hamlin (HARV) – 1:48.26
5. Carinn Bethea (DART) – 1:48.61
6. Kate Li (CORN) – 1:48.95
7. Sydney Lu (HARV) – 1:49.41
8. Vivian Weng (YALE) – 1:50.35

The women’s 200 free quickly turned into a race between two swimmers: Morgan Lukinac of Brown and Ellie Marquardt of Princeton. They approached the race in a very similar fashion, both emphasizing a strong third 50. At the finish, Lukinac ultimately claimed victory (1:45.49) by a few tenths over Marquardt (1:45.83), and you can see a full split breakdown below.

Splits Comparison:

It was a tight battle for 3rd, but Penn’s Anna Moehn built upon her runner-up finish in yesterday’s 500 free with bronze here. She placed her hand on the wall in 1:48.05, outpacing Molly Hamlin (1:48.26) of Harvard and Carinn Bethea (1:48.61) of Dartmouth.

Harvard’s Sydney Lu, who touched 2nd in the 100 fly about 45 minutes ago, finished in 1:49.41 for 7th overall. Cornell’s Kate Li touched just ahead of her for 6th, touching at 1:48.95. Yale’s Vivian Weng rounded out the field in 8th with her 1:50.35 clocking.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 55.73 – Lilly King, Indiana (2019)
• Ivy League Record: 58.44 – Katie Meili, Columbia (2013)
• Ivy Championships Record: 58.44 – Katie Meili, Columbia (2013)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.02
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 59.73

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Margaux McDonald (PRIN) – 1:00.20
2. Jessey Li (YALE) – 1:00.34
3. Ava Franks (YALE) – 1:00.51
4. Aleksandra Denisenko (HARV) – 1:00.77
5. Ashley Hu (COL) – 1:01.18
6. Victoria Eisenhauer (HARV) – 1:01.37
7. Gillian Tu (BROWN) – 1:01.46
8. Isabella Pytel (PENN) – 1:01.57

After qualifying 3rd earlier today, Princeton senior Margaux McDonald posted a time of 1:00.20 en route to victory in the 100 breast. Her closing 50 made the difference, as she was the only person to dip under the 32-second barrier. She closed in 31.70, after trailing for the first 50, to pass everyone on the backstretch.

Yale teammates Jessey Li (1:00.34) and Ava Franks (1:00.51) qualified 1-2 this morning, but placed 2nd and 3rd tonight. They still dropped time from prelims though, and earned a combined 55 points for Yale.

The Crimson representatives in the race, Aleksandra Denisenko (1:00.77) and Victoria Eisenhauer (1:01.37), finish 4th and 6th, respectively. Columbia’s Ashley Hu finished between them, touching in 1:01.18 for 5th.

Gillian Tu (1:01.46) of Brown and Isabella Pytel (1:01.57) clocked sub-1:02 performances to rank 7th and 8th in tonight’s championship final. The B-final also featured a time in the 1:01 range, with Princeton sophomore Eliza Brown (1:01.78) claiming 9th.

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 48.26 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2023)
• Ivy League Record: 52.27 – Anya Mostek (Harvard, 2024)
• Ivy Championships Record: 52.27 – Anya Mostek (Harvard, 2024)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.88
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 52.36

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Anya Mostek (HARV) – 52.15
2. Jenna Reznicek (BROWN) – 52.94
3. Isabella Korbly (PRIN) – 53.47
4. Quinn Murphy (YALE) – 53.90
5. Alexa Pappas (PRIN) – 53.96
6. Molly Hamlin (HARV) – 54.07
7. Liza Whitmire (PRIN) – 54.28
8. Abigail Carr (HARV) – 56.04

For the 3rd time this season and 2nd time today, Harvard sophomore Anya Mostek has set a new Ivy League record in the 100 backstroke. She sprinted to the wall in 52.15, shaving 0.12 off her record from today’s prelims. Each time she has lowered her record this year, she has taken the race out faster. That pattern held true tonight, with a full comparison between the three swims below.

Splits Comparison:

Brown’s Jenna Reznicek dipped under 53 in 52.94, grabbing 2nd place overall. Her silver medal performance continues a great night for Brown, as they’ve already bagged two wins earlier in the session. Reznicek opened in 25.65 before closing in 27.29, dropping 0.20 from prelims but was a bit off her 52.68 entry time.

Princeton’s Isabella Korbly led a trio of 53-second performances, claiming 3rd place status in 53.47. Yale’s Quinn Murphy (53.90) and Princeton’s Alexa Pappas (53.96) finished 4th and 5th, respectively. Korbly’s Princeton teammate, Liza Whitmire, checked-in at 7th with a time of 54.28.

Mostek wasn’t the only Crimson swimmer in the field, as they secured significant points via Molly Hamlin‘s (54.07) 6th place finish in addition to Abigail Carr‘s (56.04) 8th place performance.

WOMEN’S 3-METER DIVING – FINALS

• Ivy League Record: 360.55 – Caitlin Chambers, Princeton (2015)
• Ivy Championships Record: 360.55 – Caitlin Chambers, Princeton (2015)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Isabella George (BROWN) – 299.85 points
2. Macy Pine (COL) – 256.60 points
3. Alice Diakova (COL) – 247.40 points
4. Maggie Lambdin (DART) – 239.30 points
5. Maya Ennis (YALE) – 227.85 points
6. Sophie Slayden (PENN) – 223.00 points
7. Claire Cornell (DART) – 218.75 points
8. Laurel Jin (YALE) – 201.25 points

Brown freshman Isabella George outscored the field in 3-meter diving, winning with 299.85 points. George was 5th in 1-meter action earlier in the competition. Columbia teammates Macy Pine (256.60 points) and Alice Diakova (247.40 points) placed 2nd and 3rd.

WOMEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 3:21.80 — Virginia (2023)
• Ivy League Record: 3:32.72 – Harvard (2020)
• Ivy Championships Record: 3:32.72 – Harvard (2020)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 3:31.38
• 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 3:33.48

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Harvard – 3:33.65
2. Princeton – 3:33.76
3. Brown – 3:37.61
4. Columbia – 3:39.25
5. Yale – 3:39.49
6. Cornell – 3:40.91
7. Dartmouth – 3:41.10
8. Penn – 3:42.76

Harvard snapped Princeton’s relay winning streak here in Providence, touching ahead at the finish. The victorious quartet consisted of Anya Mostek (52.61), Aleksandra Denisenko (1:00.26), Sydney Lu (51.78), and Mandy Brenner (49.00), touching in a final time of 3:33.65.

Princeton’s foursome of Isabella Korbly (53.72), Margaux McDonald (59.52), Heidi Smithwick (52.44), and Ela Noble (48.08) finished in a cumulative time of 3:33.76. Noble made a charge on the anchor leg, but Brenner of Harvard was able to hold her off.

Brown finished 3rd tonight, building off their momentum, touching in 3:37.61. Their squad was comprised of Jenna Reznicek (53.85), Catherine Yu (1:01.74), Lillian Klinginsmith (52.91), and Morgan Lukinac (49.11), touching in 3:37.61.

TEAM SCORES AFTER DAY 3:

1. Princeton – 953 points
2. Harvard – 857.5 points
3. Yale – 707 points
4. Brown – 657 points
5. Penn – 554.5 points
6. Columbia – 448 points
7. Cornell – 411 points
8. Dartmouth – 326 points