2024 Ivy League Women’s Championships: Day 4 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 | Day 3 Finals Live Recap

Saturday Finals Heat Sheet

It’s the final night of the 2024 Women’s Ivy League Championships, and Princeton looks to be on track to defend their title. Harvard is within 100 points and does have more A-finalists tonight, including five in 3m diving, but the gap may just be too much to overcome. Here is where the scores stand before the session:

Scores Before The Session:

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

We’ll see finals of the 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, 3m diving, and the 400 free relay. Penn’s Anna Kalandadze is the top entrant in the women’s 1650 free, and she is the championship record holder in the event. Anya Mostek (Harvard, 200 back), Sabrina Johnston (Princeton, 100 free), Dakota Tucker (Princeton, 200 breast), and Heidi Smithwick (Princeton, 200 fly) are the other top seeds for tonight’s action.

WOMEN’S 1650 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 15:03.31, Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• Ivy League Record: 15:50.60, Alicia Aemiseggar, Princeton (2009)
• Ivy Championships Record: 15:53.88, Anna Kalandadze, Penn (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 15:52.41
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 16:13.73

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Anna Kalandadze (PENN) – 15:54.53
2. Anna Moehn (PENN) – 16:12.86
3. Caroline Riggs (YALE) – 16:18.29
4. Sydney Bergstrom (PENN) – 16:30.49
5. Riley Botting (YALE) – 16:31.57
6. Alexandra Bastone (HARV) – 16:33.23
7. Hayley Clark (PRIN) – 16:35.25
8. Sara Barrett (BROWN) – 16:42.24

Penn’s Anna Kalandadze touched the wall in 15:54.53 to defend her title in the mile. Her outing is just outside the 15:53.88 championship record she produced last year. Anna Moehn finished 2nd in the race (16:12.86), representing the same Penn 1-2 punch as we saw in the 500 free. Penn has put their distance prowess on full display this week in Providence, with Sydney Bergstrom (16:30.49) also bagging a 4th place effort.

Caroline Riggs of Yale touched in 16:18.29 for 3rd place status, with her teammate Riley Botting (16:31.57) grabbing valuable 5th place points.

Harvard’s Alexandra Bastone continued her great week by finishing 6th, while Hayley Clark (Princeton) and Sara Barrett (Brown) placed 7th and 8th.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:47.24 – Beata Nelson, Wisconsin (2019)
• Ivy League Record: 1:52.56 – Felicia Pasadyn, Harvard (2020)
• Ivy Championships Record: 1:52.56 – Felicia Pasadyn, Harvard (2020)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:50.50
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:53.34

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Anya Mostek (HARV) – 1:54.43
2. Margaux McDonald (PRIN) – 1:54.58
3. Molly Hamlin (HARV) – 1:55.28
4. Aziza Ganihanova (COL) – 1:55.94
5. Liza Whitmire (PRIN) – 1:57.23
6. Grace Black (PRIN) – 1:57.72
7. Addie Rose Bullock (HARV) – 1:58.39
8. Isabella Korbly (PRIN) – 1:59.04

Anya Mostek, who broke the Ivy League 100 back record twice yesterday, doubled up on backstroke gold. In a close race with 100 breast champion Margaux McDonald, Mostek got her hand on the wall just 0.15 ahead of McDonald. They both broke 1:55 for the first time, with Mostek winning in 1:54.43 and McDonald clocking-in at 1:54.58.

Molly Hamlin of Harvard outpaced the field for bronze, touching in 1:55.28. Aziza Ganihanova of Columbia posted a sub-1:56 time of 1:55.94 to secure 4th place status, the only other time under 1:57. Hamlin’s teammate, Addie Rose Bullock, finished in a final time of 1:58.39 to earn herself a 7th place performance.

Princeton had three representatives besides McDonald in tonight’s final, with Liza Whitmire (1:57.23) claiming 5th, Grace Black (1:57.72) touching 6th, and Isabella Korbly (1:59.04) claiming 8th.

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 45.56 – Simone Manuel, Stanford (2017)
• Ivy League Record: 47.32 – Iszak Henig, Yale (2022)
• Ivy Championships Record: 47.63 – Lia Thomas, Penn (2022)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 47.18
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 48.37

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Sabrina Johnston (PRIN) – 48.28
2. Morgan Lukinac (BROWN) – 48.53
3. Ela Noble (PRIN) – 49.10
4. Priscilla Wongso (CORN) – 49.56
5. Lillian Klinginsmith (BROWN) – 49.79
6. Ellie Marquardt (PRIN) – 49.81
7. Kelly Dolce (BROWN) – 50.03
8. Mandy Brenner (HARV) – 50.35

Sabrina Johnston of Princeton added the 100 free win to her resume, marking her second individual win of the week. She touched in a time of 48.28 to top the field, with 200 free champion Morgan Lukinac settling for 2nd place. Lukinac, who represents Brown, clocked-in at 48.53 as the only other competitor in the 48-second realm.

Ela Noble joined teammate Johnston in the top three, posting a very respectable 49.10 time. Ellie Marquardt, their other teammate in the championship final, was 6th overall at 49.81.

Priscilla Wongso (49.56) of Cornell placed 4th, Lillian Klinginsmith (49.79) of Brown claimed 5th, Kelly Dolce (50.03) of Brown touched 7th, and Mandy Brenner (50.35) of Harvard recorded an 8th place showing.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 2:01.29 – Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• Ivy League Record: 2:08.00 – Katie Meili, Columbia (2013)
• Ivy Championships Record: 2:08.47 – Jaycee Yegher, Harvard (2020)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 2:05.73
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 2:09.68

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Dakota Tucker (PRIN) – 2:09.88
2. Eliza Brown (PRIN) – 2:11.40
3. Ava Franks (YALE) – 2:11.46
4. Jessey Li (YALE) – 2:12.47
5. Stephanie Iannaccone (HARV) – 2:13.42
6. Aleksandra Denisenko (HARV) – 2:14.27
7. Amie Barrow (BROWN) – 2:14.50
8. Catherine Yu (BROWN) – 2:16.56

Dakota Tucker secured her third individual win of the meet, winning the 200 breast in 2:09.88. She was just off her best time of 2:09.54 from December, but she still won the conference title by just shy of two seconds. She led a 1-2 finish for the Tigers, with Eliza Brown touching out Ava Franks of Yale for 2nd. Only 0.06 separated Brown and Franks, with Brown finishing in 2:11.40 to Franks’ 2:11.46.

Jessey Li was in close pursuit of Franks, ultimately finishing 4th in a time of 2:12.47. The sophomore was 2nd in the 100 breast earlier in the meet, showing that she is a two distance threat in the breast events.

The Harvard duo of Stephanie Iannaccone (2:13.42) and Aleksandra Denisenko (2:14.27) claimed the 5th and 6th place spots. Brown teammates Amie Barrow (2:14.50) and Catherine Yu (2:16.56) secured big points for their 7th and 8th place showings.

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:49.16 – Alex Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• Ivy League Record: 1:54.49 – Alex Forrester, Yale (2013)
• Ivy Championships Record: 1:54.60 – Alex Forrester, Yale (2013)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:52.86
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:55.92

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Heidi Smithwick (PRIN) – 1:54.62
2. Eleanor Sun (PRIN) – 1:55.87
3. Zehra Bilgin (BROWN) – 1:56.55
4. Sydney Lu (HARV) – 1:58.14
5. Lilly Derivaux (YALE) – 1:59.59
6. Junseo Kim (YALE) – 1:59.66
7. Alex Massey (YALE) – 1:59.77
8. Katie Yee (CORN) – 2:01.77

Princeton’s Heidi Smithwick claimed her 1st individual win of the meet, posting a time of 1:54.62 to win the 200 fly. It was a 1-2 finish for the Tigers, with Eleanor Sun touching in 1:55.87. Of note, both swimmers posted performances under the 2023 NCAA invite time (1:55.92).

Brown’s Zehra Bilgin touched in 1:56.55 to claim 3rd. Sydney Lu of Harvard touched 4th ahead a trio of Brown teammates: Lilly Derivaux (1:59.59), Junseo Kim (1:59.66), and Alex Massey (1:59.77)l.

Katie Yee of Cornell was 8th fastest in the championship final, checking-in at 2:01.77.

WOMEN’S 3-METER DIVING – FINALS

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

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Nina Janmyr (HARV) – 291.65 points
2. Remi Edvalson (HARV) – 290.60 points
3. Amy Wotovich (HARV) – 282.15 points
4. Gloria Lai (YALE) – 275.15 points
5. Maddie Seltzer (PRIN) – 262.15 points
6. Tabitha Chen-Fiske (HARV) – 243.60 points
7. Katie Laverty (HARV) – 217.40 points
8. Elena Yeh (BROWN) – 216.90 points

It was a 1-2-3 finish for Harvard in 3-meter diving action. Nina Janmyr doubled up on her 1-mtr win with another one here. She outscored teammate Remi Edvalson 291.65 to 290.60, while Amy Wotovich posted a showing of 282.15 points.

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 3:05.84, Virginia (2023)
• Ivy League Record: 3:14.48, Harvard (2020)
• Ivy Championships Record: 3:14.48, Harvard (2020)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 3:14.10
• 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 3:16.25

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Princeton – 3:15.62
2. Brown – 3:18.22
3. Harvard – 3:18.43
4. Yale – 3:19.28
5. Cornell – 3:19.71
6. Dartmouth – 3:22.20
7. Penn – 3:22.31

DQ: Columbia

Princeton ended their meet the way they started it: with a relay victory.

The quarter of Sabrina Johnston (48.36), Ela Noble (48.52), Ellie Marquardt (49.35), and Heidi Smithwick (49.39) hit the wall in 3:15.62, clearing the field by nearly three seconds. The lead-off split from Johnston was particularly impressive, as she was just 0.08 slower than she went to win the individual 100 free earlier in the night.

Brown’s foursome of Lillian Klinginsmith (50.54), Morgan Lukinac (48.79), Kelly Dolce (49.80), and Zehra Bilgin (49.09) claimed the 2nd podium pedestal. Harvard’s squad of Sydney Lu (49.47), Blythe Wieclawek (50.55), Molly Hamlin (48.96), and Addie Rose Bullock (49.45) touched in 3:18.43 for 3rd place status.

Final Team Standings

1. Princeton – 1403 points
2. Harvard – 1317.5 points
3. Yale – 1069 points
4. Brown – 1036 points
5. Penn – 863.5 points
6. Columbia – 683 points
7. Cornell – 609 points
8. Dartmouth – 475 points